As animal advocates ask for Covid-19 vaccines for zoo animals and pets, experts say that the vaccines, while developed for animals, may not always be necessary. We've seen zoo animals sadly pass away from Covid, and it turns out that the vaccine they are given was originally developed for companion animals--dogs--in the first place. The reason it's not being made into a priority is an encouraging one: our companion animals aren't as affected by the disease as we are.
Dogs and cats aren't getting Covid at the rate we might expect, and those who are aren't spreading it to humans or even having nearly as many complications from it as other animals. Some experts say that the risk among them is so low that a vaccine for them may not even be worth it. That said, there's been less than two years to analyze this information, and who knows how many pets may have Covid and their owners don't even know? Many pet owners only go to the vet for emergencies, after all.
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