Thank you for your concern. It’s common to ask. Many people trust their own vets but are wary of others. There’s no danger in asking. I trust our vet and don’t feel the need to second guess. When vaccine time comes around again, I’m sure it will become clear if the plan has changed. I also noticed a very low rabies rate in our state. Bats are the main culprit, but our immediate area doesn’t have many due to a white nose syndrome outbreak. Where we moved from, rabies cases occurred with some regularity. Still, as scary as rabies is, it’s not something to be taken lightly.
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Yeah, isn’t it wonderful? 
We don’t know what we don’t know. This community is so generous with such an incredible amount of knowledge and experience, and when you bring a question to us, people here will help by raising other questions that are worth asking, other things to consider, and share experience that, while may not be identical, is close and provides further insight. It’s amazing.
Can’t even count how many times I thought I knew what the question was, but brought it here and realized the question and answer was something I’d never even considered. That’s the power here. It’s just grand 
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A forum like this INVALUABLE to crowd-source other experiences. Thank goodness for it, and thank goodness for people asking questions even though they’re involved with their vet.
Not all vets understand that the manufacturer of a vaccine can make all the difference for a horse. FjordBCRF is proof of that and she’s not alone.
Vets aren’t infallible. No vet knows all the things. I would bet the collective here has a lot more experience on any given health topic than any single vet alive, perhaps excepting some rare weirdness.
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I love this forum for exactly these reasons. There’s so much knowledge and experience, even about uncommon issues, from the collective. At a minimum, it’s a good discussion starter with your own vet.
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A consideration point. Charlie was JUST as reactive to rabies on its own as he had been to the Vetera 6 way. I don’t know what brand the rabies stand-alone was, but we didn’t know until we tried. In my mind, I figured if that was the case I might as well just continue with the combo so he was better covered.
I can’t speak to the anaphylactic reactions and how you can or can’t handle those, but it’s all shooting fish in a barrel to a large extent. I anticipate that next spring lm still going to do the around the clock checks since a non-reaction this year doesn’t guarantee anything in the future. Knowing his sensitivities; I’m going to assume the worst and hope for the best.
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This is probably a dumb question but – do horses react as badly when intranasal vaccines are given? Or does it only eliminate the possibility of a site reaction from the needle?
I completely agree that the discussion and shared information have been really interesting.
With my vet, I couldn’t (wouldn’t) second guess her about my horses, but I’d certainly do a general Ask-the-Vet with her about some of the things mentioned to learn more.
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I had totally forgotten about this, but this new thread reminded me - maybe he’s simply allergic to the silicone?
Source for monoject non-lubricated needles - Horse Care - Chronicle Forums (chronofhorse.com)
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@JB My vet mentioned this when he was out, I didn’t realize that was a possibility until then either.
@candyappy - Charlie didnt have a reaction to the IN flu/rhino in the fall. Vet said they tend to be less reactive to those as a rule (while he was knocking on wood). Im not sure how they are different…no needle; not sure if they also contain adjuvant like the injectables do. There aren’t a lot of options though; flu/rhino and strangles was my understanding. They can do those IN as that is a way to contract the disease? Something like that.
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I have a horse who is sensitive to vaccines, albeit not in the way others are describing here. Still, my vet does do what she can intranasal rather than injection.
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No, I’m not “nuts”.
I AM a veterinarian, and to my mind there are a heck of a lot of strategies that have not been attempted here to reduce the risk of vaccination to the equid, and reduce the risk of public health issues to the humans and other equids near it, before pronouncing said equid “unvaccinatable”.
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Sorry trubi, I shouldn’t have replied to you! 
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No problem.
I agree that there are lots of steps to try.
I know in my case we did try lots of things.
I am going to ask my vet about our options for nasal spray vaccines when they are out vaccinating everyone else.
I think it is great that people are discussing things.
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Thanks. I’ll see what she says when vaccine time comes around again. He’s still covered for a couple more months.
We have a few cases every year, but it’s not horrible. Once a year is fine here because as you know it’s April 1 and there is a foot of snow on the ground. So for WNV, we vaccinate for the mosquito season.
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It’s melting fast, but it was very pretty this morning. 
We’ll see what his vet says this summer when he’s due again. I wonder how actual “herd immunity” plays into this? I suppose horse-to-horse type illnesses, such as flu, rhino, and strangles might be safe, whereas mosquito borne diseases, such as WNV and rabies are scarier.
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yeah, In your situation, flu, rhino and strangles aren’t a big worry.
But vector borne diseases like EEE, WEE and WNV are an issue
And of course rabies. MN doesn’t have a high rabies incidence, but we do have it. Skunks and bats seem to be the big problem here
Animals Tests for Rabies, by Species and Test Result, 2003-2020 (state.mn.us)
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Thank you!
Update!
I had an occasion to talk to our vet about Tony. The plan is to follow a strict anti-inflammatory pre- and post- vaccination in order to give only the essentials every 3 years or so. Rabies is the biggest worry. He’s had solid vaccinations and boosters for his first three years.
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Where I live there are lots of horses that do not get vaccinated. I had one in my barn who reacted so badly to vaccines they stopped vaccinating that particular horse. This was many years ago but she had lived a long healthy life.
My horse does get vaccinated but three other horses in the barn do not get vaccinated so far they picture of health.
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