Sick as a Dog? The Prevalence, Politicization, and Health Policy Consequences of Canine Vaccine Hesitancy (CVH)

Canine vaccine hesitancy (CVH) can be thought about as dog owners’ skepticism about the safety and efficacy of administering routine vaccinations to their pets. CVH is potentially problematic not only because it may inspire vaccine refusal – which may in turn facilitate infectious disease spread in both canine and human populations – but because it may contribute to veterinary care provider burnout. While anecdotal reports suggest that CVH may be widespread, few have made an effort to assess its prevalence, socio-political correlates, or animal/human health consequences. In a nationally representative survey of the US adult population (N = 2,200), we introduce a novel survey-based instrument for measuring CVH. We document pervasive CVH in dog owner subpopulations, with 53% expressing concerns about the safety (37%), efficacy (22%), and/or necessity (30%) of canine vaccination. We further provide evidence of vaccine “spillover” effects; such that dog owners who hold negative attitudes about human vaccines – views which tend to be over-represented on the ideological right – are significantly more likely to express CVH. Troublingly, we find that CVH is associated with rabies non-vaccination, as well as opposition to evidence-based vaccine policies. We conclude by discussing the human and animal health consequences of CVH, and outline a research agenda for future opinion-based research on this important topic.