Will Falconer, DVM Moderator
"Needed" is a very relative term. Some would say the "law" makes it needed. I say "it depends." I have a good starting place for you to learn more about rabies: Rabies Short Course. And much more in depth, individual answers for my students in Rabies: Knowledge is Power, which opens periodically for enrollment..
And parvo kills puppies. Distemper can also, though it's far less prevalent. Doing zero protection isn't wise, but vaccines are not your only choice. Here's a course that more broadly speaks to alternative ways to protect (and WHY you'd want to explore those). As I write this, the best course to address safe immunization is open for enrollment for a few more days: Nosodes, Tautodes & Titers.