SAN JOSE, Antique – Local government units (LGUs) in Antique are urged to hire additional vaccinators and purchase their own anti-rabies shots so the rabies prevention and control program in the province could take off.
Manolito Delgado, provincial canine rabies coordinator of the Provincial Veterinary Office, said in an interview on Friday that some 29,397 out of 53,719 dogs in the province were vaccinated last year.
“We have a 54.72 percent accomplishment because of our various activities conducted to vaccinate the dogs,” he said.
Delgado added that this accomplishment is computed out of the 70 percent targeted dog population for vaccination.
“Valderrama has a rather higher 91.72 percent accomplishment – or 1,651 dogs vaccinated – because the LGU has prioritized the purchase of the anti-rabies vaccines despite it had no positive rabies case,” Delgado said.
The Municipal Agriculture Officer of Valderrama lobbied for the purchase of the anti-rabies vaccines with their local chief executive that is why it was able to attain such accomplishment, he added.
Valderrama targeted 1,260 dogs for vaccination in 2018.
Last year, there were nine canine rabies cases reported, with four turning out to be negative upon laboratory examination.
“The positive cases were from Bugasong, Culasi, Hamtic, San Jose de Buenavista, Sibalom, Tibiao and in Tobias Fornier,” Delgado said.
Three human deaths were also reported last year – one in San Jose and two in Laua-an.
“There were also 74 stray dogs that were eliminated of which 68 were from San Jose de Buenavista,” the rabies coordinator said.
The six other dogs eliminated were from Hamtic town.
“We received 4,000 vials of dog vaccine from the Department of Agriculture that we used in our massive anti-rabies dog vaccination,” Delgado said.
The massive anti-rabies dog vaccination was conducted in Culasi, Hamtic, Sibalom, Tobias Fornier, Anini-y, San Remigio, Laua-an, Barbaza, and Culasi. Assistance from the Provincial Veterinary Office was requested due to lack of vaccinators.
“Frequently, the reason why the anti-rabies prevention and control program could not be given focus is because of the lack of vaccinators in the LGUs,” Delgado said.
He added that LGUs usually have only one vaccinator who is already overworked. (With PNA/PN)
