Sarawak rolls out oral vaccine baits for stray dogs

At a briefing and training session today, Sarawak veterinary services department deputy director Dr Nicholas Jenek said the initiative is aimed at vaccinating dogs that are hard to catch or handle.

“We are currently conducting a trial as this is a new concept for us,” Borneo Post reported him as saying.

Normally, the department uses parenteral, or injectable vaccines, but this bait method helps them reach dogs that are difficult to approach.

Nicholas said dogs that consume the bait will develop sufficient antibodies after about a month.

He added that Sarawak authorities aim to vaccinate at least 70% of the state’s dog population to effectively control rabies.

He said the state government has acquired around 5,000 units of such bait for the programme, currently stored at the Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC).

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

Earlier this month, state education, innovation and talent development minister Roland Sagah Wee Inn said oral vaccination is part of broader efforts to enhance rabies prevention in Sarawak.

The initiative is supported by SIDC and led by the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with support from international partners, including Worldwide Veterinary Service and Ceva Santé Animale.