The Provincial Rabies Prevention and Control program in Negros Occidental has exceeded its target for dog immunization as of November with 158,356 animals having received shots, Dr. Merie Ann Tolentino, said yesterday.
Tolentino said the total dog population of the province is 209,466 and their target for vaccination is 70 percent. Their monitoring report shows they have achieved 75.60 percent, she said.
However, Tolentino said, the immunization will continue until the end of December.
The report also showed that the cities with the highest dog population are Kabankalan with 18,362;Bago with 14,816; Sagay - 13,396; Cadiz - 13,142; San Carlos - 12,307; and Escalante - 11,073.
Tolentino reminded dog owners not to wash their animals for three to five days after immunization. Puppies at three months old should be given the anti-rabies vaccine and adult dogs must also have annual booster vaccines to strengthen their immune system, she also said.
They should also keep the dog cards to be able to trace their vaccination records, she added.
Tolentino said the Provincial Veterinary Office received 15,359 vials of anti-rabies vaccines in 2010 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that were distributed to all local government units in order to attain a rabies-free province by 2015.
The foundation has identified Negros Occidental as one of the areas in the Philippines with high incidents of rabies and theirgoal is to make the country rabies-free by 2020, Tolentino added. *LTG back
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