Sarawak begins distributing oral rabies vaccine bait to free-roaming dogs

KUCHING (April 10): Sarawak has begun distributing oral rabies vaccine (ORV) bait to free-roaming dogs as part of efforts to strengthen rabies control measures in the state.

During the ORV briefing and training programme held near the Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) here, Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak (DVSS) deputy director Dr Nicholas Jenek said the programme involves giving dogs that are difficult to catch or handle edible vaccine bait.

“For today, we are doing a trial run because it is quite a new concept for us. Normally we use what we call parenteral vaccination, which means injectable.

“But today we are trying the oral rabies vaccine, whereby we place the bait on the street and let the dogs take them,” he told reporters, adding dogs that consume the bait will have enough antibodies developed after about one month.

He added that the oral vaccination method targets dogs that are difficult to catch, especially those that roam freely.

“This is mostly for dogs that we cannot catch — those that are constantly free-roaming or animals that even their owners cannot handle,” he explained.

Dr Nicholas stressed that the oral vaccine complements, rather than replaces, the conventional injectable vaccination.

“The main method is still parenteral vaccination. But this helps us reach dogs that we cannot approach,” he said, adding that authorities aim to vaccinate at least 70 per cent of the dog population to effectively control rabies.

About 5,000 pieces of ORV bait have been procured by the government for the programme and are currently stored at the Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) under strict cold chain conditions.

“These baits must be kept in a cold chain environment just like any other vaccine. That is why they are stored at SIDC and transported in cool boxes,” he said.

He said the vaccination exercise will continue throughout the month following today’s trial run.

“For the whole programme, we have about 5,000 baits. Starting tomorrow until almost the end of this month, the activities will continue,” he said.

The programme began at 6.45am with the arrival of participants and guests, followed by welcoming remarks by Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) president Datin Sri Dona Drury Wee and opening remarks by Dr Nicholas.

An ORV programme briefing was delivered by Dr Ad Vos of Ceva Santé Animale before participants conducted a practical training session in the surrounding area to demonstrate the deployment of the vaccine bait.

About 80 participants took part in the programme, including representatives from the Immune Belt Enforcement Team (IBET), SIDC, DVSS, SSPCA, MPP, and volunteers.

Earlier this month, Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said the oral vaccination approach forms part of broader efforts to strengthen rabies prevention in Sarawak.

“This time, we are testing the tasty egg-based dog treats containing rabies vaccines, which we will give to the animals,” he said.

He added that the initiative, supported by SIDC and led by SSPCA with assistance from international partners including Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) and Ceva Santé Animale, could help reach free-roaming dogs and animals in areas where conventional vaccination methods are difficult to implement.