Season 12 • Episode 979

979 - Why Are More People Choosing Not to Vaccinate Their Pets?

Nov 20, 2025

16:31

COVID-19 Global Health Vaccines & Immunization Public Health

Episode Description

About this episode:

As hesitancy about human vaccines rises, so too does skepticism of routine pet immunizations. In this episode: Veterinarians Meghan Davis and Kaitlin Waite explain what's behind growing anti-vaccine sentiment among pet owners, how veterinarians are navigating this divide, and why an understanding of the human-animal bond can yield better public health outcomes for all.

Guests:

Meghan Davis, PhD, MPH, DVM, is a veterinarian and public health researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a joint appointment at the School of Medicine.

Kaitlin Waite, MPH, DVM, is a veterinarian and a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she also serves as the Deputy Director of Outreach Core at the POE Center.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Show links and related content:

Here's Why Fewer People Are Vaccinating Their Pets—TIME
Vaccine Skepticism Comes for Pet Owners, Too—New York Times
The importance of vaccinating your pet—Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
Could One Health Prevent the Next Pandemic?—Public Health On Call (September 2025)

Transcript information:

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