Sarawak going door-to-door in new rabies vaccination drive

WITH no end in sight to the rabies outbreak, Sarawak is now shifting tactics in its seven-year fight against the fatal disease by going on a door-to-door vaccination drive.

The drive will start in areas with the highest number of rabies cases involving humans.

The state disaster management committee said the drive – an integrated rabies operation involving the state Health and Veterinary Departments, police, the army, the state’s Enforcement and Safety Unit, and various local councils – will kick off in the Kuching district for two days from April 29 to 30 and another two from May 2 to 3.

It named four areas in the district – Tabuan Jaya, Taman Landeh, Desa Wira, Sg Maong Tengah – as targets in the four-day operation.

Apart from vaccinating pets, the committee said the objective of the operation is to raise awareness among the public about rabies and the necessity of licensing pets.

Since the outbreak in 2017, about 213,000 dogs – out of an estimated population of between 250,000 and 300,000 – have been vaccinated, and 78 cases of rabies involving humans have been reported, with 71 cases resulting in death.

Also, as of April 19, five of the state’s 12 administrative divisions have been declared as rabies areas.

They are the Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Bintulu, and Sri Aman divisions.

The committee has again appealed to pet owners, particularly of dogs, to vaccinate and license their pets during the drive and not allow them to roam freely outside their house compound.

“The cooperation of all parties is crucial to ensure the successful implementation of the integrated rabies operation to control the spread of the rabies outbreak, so that Sarawak can achieve zero-rabies by the year 2030,” it added. – April 28, 2024.