Vet Vaccination Policy (Covid)

[Disaffected]

Just called my vet to see what their Covid vaccination policy is. Was told all their veterinarians have all been doubly vaccinated but some of the staff are "still waiting".

I, like I suspect many on this forum, have very strong feelings about those who choose not to get vaccinated - the harm and suffering they are causing is immense. My dilemma now is to keep taking my pet to this vet office, as I have for many years, or find some other alternative.

I would be obliged to hear what others on this forum think about it...

[rurallib]

1. I spent an hour in a small crowded vet office two weeks ago with a sick cat

Seven people at one time. I was really worried.
I think the vet and his staff were vaccinated, but I doubt all the others were.

[Disaffected]

3. One thing in that regard you can do here with most vets

is to drop off your pet and wait outside while the procedure is performed. You then talk to the vet over phone for the results.
Optionally you can chose to stay in the waiting room.

Not an ideal arrangement by any means but better than the situation you were in IMO.

[hlthe2b]

2. Most veterinary clinics--especially the physically small ones-- are requiring masks

while in the exam room. In Colorado, at least, I think there is pretty good compliance with staff following the advice of veterinarians in the practices and getting vaccinated. Honestly, it "slays" me to see any physician or other HCW opposing vaccinations. In my experience (given the very long history of population medicine, herd health, and concern for zoonotic disease) few veterinarians would be vaccine opponents. It is pretty incompatible with the field. It SHOULD be likewise incompatible with human medicine, but as more and more specialized physicians get distance from infectious disease as a specialty, they seem to lose the "basics."

[Disaffected]

4. Yes, that's the way it is here as well (masks required if entering the premises).

Come to think of it, I'm going to ask my GPs office what their vaccination of staff policy is and specifically if my own GP has been vaccinated (I would be highly surprised if the answer is no).

[littlemissmartypants]

5. Animals can get Covid.

If they don't care about infecting your fur baby they most definitely won't care about you.

Shop around for other options and pray the psychopaths won't lie about their vaccination status just to make money.

Good luck.

❤

[Disaffected]

6. Thank you - good point about the fur babes.

On the topic of lying about it, the Fed gov't here is on the verge of introducing vaccine passports (which will work on your smartphone or by something like a driver's license). That should make it easy to verify whether or not someone has been vaccinated.

I did shop around a bit and of the four vet clinics I called, all pretty much the same - no requirement policy, some vaccinated and some not.

[hlthe2b]

7. Don't assume that veterinarians are less likely to comply w vaccination. I'd bet the opposite!

Veterinary medicine is founded on population medicine-- despite small animal practice assuming an individualized outlook. Vaccination and infection control is ingrained in veterinary practice, as well as the principles of herd medicine/herd immunity. And, if you really think your veterinarian does not know (and is not fully following) both anecdotal reports and studies of animal vulnerability and infection/transmission potential in both companion and exotic or wildlife animals, you'd be wrong in most cases.

I'd hold those assumptions more for the human field, where-- as I pointed out upstream, more and more physicians are assuming specialties that really distance them from infectious disease control principles. Even in the ER, I see this more and more. You can't be a practicing veterinarian without being well-grounded in zoonotic prevention and infectious disease control. It is simply incompatible. That is not always a given for physicians today. If only more of my physician colleagues were similarly well grounded.

So, on this score, my confidence in appropriate response is tipped to the veterinarians. If they are not mandating vaccinations for their employees, it would only be because they don't believe they will be protected from legal challenges. And you can thank politicians for that.

[Laurelin]

8. Sample size of 30

All the vets in my daughter's animal hospital were vaccinated early. I think all the techs were too not I'm not sure. Hospital policy requires all the vets and employees to be masked and clients have to wait outside or just drop their pets off.

I just found out that one of the vets where I take my pets (my daughter lives in a different country) was not vaccinated. Two were. They all got covid last month. They're all fine now but it did bother me that one wasn't vaccinated. Appointments here are in person.