“… AVMA recognizes some animals might require a waiver from rabies vaccination because the vaccination poses an unacceptably high risk to the health of the individual animal, or a waiver might be necessary for research purposes. If adequate steps can be taken to minimize the chance of exposure to rabies virus, the AVMA recommends that such animals be granted a waiver from mandatory rabies vaccination, upon recommendation of a licensed veterinarian and with the concurrence of the appropriate public health authorities.”
35 state laws/regulations currently do not allow medical exemptions.
Read the Waiver language here: http://www.avma.org/issues/policy/annual-rabies-vaccination-waiver.asp
The AVMA has also provided an Annual Rabies Vaccination Waiver Form.
16 STATES currently have MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS: AL, CA, CO, CT, FL, IL, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OR, VT, VA and WI. It is possible your state may have an undiscovered exemption that is not part of the main law. Such was the case in Illinois. And CA regulations changed county to county. If your area has anexemption unlisted here, please contact the Rabies Challenge Fund. They are working to provide more medical exemptions for unhealthy animals.
Additional articles of interest:
Rabies Vaccination Medical Exemptions for Unhealthy Dogs
Vaccinating Unhealthy Pets: Beware Reactions & Vaccine Failure
Rabies Vaccination: 13 Ways to Vaccinate More Safely
What to Do When Your Dog Has a Vaccine Reaction
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