Chip's Mom,
You are not alone. According to Dr. Rhoades and Dr. Dunn in the Tennessee Department of Health, the media is spreading misinformation about the requirement for rabies boosters in the state. Below is the language from the state law and below that is contact information for Drs. Rhoades and Dunn:
Title 68, Chapter 8 tennessee.gov/sos/acts/103/pub/pc0765.pdf
(3) "Compendium or rabies compendium" means the most recent issue of the national "Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control"published by the Association of State Public Health Veterinarians;
(b) Dogs and cats may be vaccinated as early as three (3) months of age or at an age as specified by the vaccine's USDA license, but will be considered as noncompliant with this section if over six (6) months of age.
(i) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require more frequent rabies vaccinations or a greater number of rabies vaccinations than are required by the rabies compendium.
(CDC's National Association of State Public Health Veterinarian's 2008 Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control
http://www.nasphv.org/Documents/RabiesCompendium.pdf "Vaccines used in state and local rabies control programs should have at least a 3-year duration of immunity. ....... No laboratory or epidemiologic data exist to support the annual or biennial administration of 3- or 4-year vaccines following the initial series. ....All vaccines must be administered in accordance with the specifications of the product label or package insert.")
Bernie L. Rhoades, MPA, REHS
Bernie.Rhoades@state.tn.us
Division of General Environmental Health Tennessee Department of Health 6th Floor, Cordell Hull Bldg
425 5th Ave North
Nashville, TN 37247-3901
(615) 741-8539
Dr. John Dunn, Department of Health
John.Dunn@state.tn.us
615-741-7247 advocates 3 year rabies vaccine, says it's the veterinarians opposed to the 3 year protocol
John R. Dunn, DVM, PhD
Medical Epidemiologist
Tennessee Department of Health
Communicable and Environmental Disease Services
1st Floor, Cordell Hull Bldg.
425 5th Ave. North
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: 615.741.7247
Fax: 615.741.3857
Email:
John.Dunn@state.tn.us