Below is the letter I just faxed to the Senate Health Committee.
PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST
June 16, 2010
Senator Elaine Alquist, Chair
Senate Health Committee
State Capitol, Room 5080
Sacramento, CA 95814
Support for “Molly’s Bill,” AB2000
Greetings Senator Alquist:
The Rabies Challenge Fund, a California-registered charitable trust of which Co-Trustee Dr. W. Jean is a California resident,
strongly supports “Molly’s Bill,” AB 2000.
For years, many states have had medical exemptions in rabies laws without experiencing an increase in rabies for the species of domestic animals covered by the laws, and there is no epidemiological or scientific data indicating that California residents will be at an elevated risk of contracting rabies if “Molly’s Bill” is passed.
Maine is a rabies endemic state, yet the Department of Health passed a medical exemption clause into the rabies regulations, which became effective in April 2005 (DHS Chapter 260
http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/10/144/144c260.doc). Dr. Donald E. Hoenig, Maine’s State Veterinarian (207) 287-7615, confirmed today that there have been no rabid dogs reported in the state since the passage of the rabies medical exemption clause more than five years ago.
Within the last year, the states of Alabama, Rhode Island, and Virginia have all passed rabies medical exemption clauses into their laws and regulations. The Rabies Challenge Fund Charitable Trust urges the Senate Health Committee to support “Molly’s Bill.”
Sincerely,
Kris L. Christine
Founder, Co-Trustee
THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND CHARITABLE TRUST
Duration of Immunity Study for Rabies Vaccine - Rabies Challenge Fund
cc: W. Jean Dodds, DVM
Ronald D. Schultz, PhD
Assembly Member Curt Hagman