Dear Valued Client,
I apologize for any recent confusion concerning the West Nile Virus Vaccine for horses. This vaccine has a Conditional license, unlike the other horse vaccines you are used to using. It was granted a Conditional license by the USDA for use only because of the West Nile Virus outbreak in the United States. Because of this, it does not have the field testing and safety record of the common horse vaccines. Any vaccine can produce a reaction and/or side effects, potentially fatal in some cases, and the risks associated with the use of an experimental vaccine are more-or-less unknown.
In order to get permission to purchase this vaccine, I had to sign a Use Compliance Agreement stating that: "I understand this vaccine is intended for use only by licensed Veterinarians and I am a licensed Veterinarian. I agree this vaccine will be used within my practice only where a valid Veterinarian-Client-Patient relationship exists. I agree that this vaccine will not be sold to parties where a valid Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship does not exist."
The Texas Veterinary Practice Act defines what is required to establish a Veterinarian-Client-Patient
Relationship:
"Sec. 801.351. EXISTENCE OF VETERINARIAN-CLIENT-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP.
(a) A veterinarian-client-patient relationship exists if the veterinarian:
(1) assumes responsibility for medical judgments regarding the health of an animal and a client,
who is the owner or other caretaker of the animal, agrees to follow the veterinarian's instructions;
(2) possesses sufficient knowledge of the animal to initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis
of the animal's medical condition; and
(3) is readily available to provide, or has provided, follow-up medical care in the event of an
adverse reaction to, or a failure of, the regimen of therapy provided by the veterinarian.
(b) A veterinarian possesses sufficient knowledge of the animal for purposes of Subsection (a)(2)
if the veterinarian has recently seen, or is personally acquainted with, the keeping and care of
the animal by:
(1) examining the animal; or
(2) making medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises on which the animal is kept."
Because this vaccine has a Conditional license, and because I signed an agreement to use the vaccine only within a valid Veterinarian-Client-Patient relationship, it is my medical judgment that I need to actually see the horse that I am vaccinating and be there to provide emergency treatment in case of an anaphylactic or other reaction to the vaccination. It is my intention to continue to practice ethical Veterinary Medicine, and to abide by the laws and rules that govern Veterinary practice. Again, I apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused.