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Bogotá D.C., September 12, 2020. The Ministry of Health and Social Protection reiterated the prevention message of annually vaccinating dogs and cats against rabies, a deadly disease.

Jairo Hernández, interim deputy director of Environmental Health of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, explained that "to prevent cases of human rabies transmitted by dogs and/or cats from occurring, the National Government purchased 6,469,000 doses of rabies vaccine for dogs and cats, with an investment of $3.9 billion."

This, he noted, is one of the most cost-effective prevention actions developed by this ministry, "within the framework of the goal of eliminating human rabies transmitted by these animals in the country," he said.

On August 31, the first 1,990,000 rabies vaccines were received, which have already been distributed to the provinces and districts. The delivery of 2,000,000 additional doses is scheduled for September, with the delivery of 2,479,000 doses projected for October 2020, which guarantees the availability of this vaccine in the country's municipalities, and thus maintain useful coverage for dogs and cats and avoid cases of human rabies.

The Ministry also acquired 200,000 doses of human rabies vaccine and 25,000 vials of serum to attend to any situation caused by the bite of animals infected with rabies virus. This investment exceeded $11 billion pesos with the Strategic Fund of the Pan American Health Organization.

Jairo Hernández reiterated the message to annually vaccinate dogs and cats against this deadly disease. He also announced that the province, municipal and district health secretariats are developing vaccination against rabies of these animals for free.

"The vaccination goal for 2020 is to vaccinate more than six million dogs and cats, for which we are responding to the call of veterinary doctors and associations of veterinary doctors, such as the Professional Council of Veterinary Doctors and Zootechnicians of Colombia (COMVEZCOL), the Association of Veterinary Doctors of Small Animals (VEPA), among others," he assured.

He also stated that the provinces of Magdalena, Cundinamarca, Chocó, Meta, Antioquia, Tolima and Casanare are critical points and emphasized the importance of vaccinating pets in places on the border with Venezuela such as La Guajira, Cesar, Norte de Santander, Arauca, Vichada and Guainía, given the situation of this disease in the neighboring country.

During the health emergency

For the development of rabies vaccination of dogs and cats in times of the health emergency, the following recommendations should be taken into account:

• Different schedules can be established for vaccination, whether or not at institutional points, depending on the conditions of each municipality. This is to minimize the risks of being contaminated by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, for which the indications of the municipal authorities must be taken into account.
• Citizens will be informed by virtual, electronic and audiovisual means (radio, local or regional television) of the specific vaccination plan for their municipality.
• Dogs or cats must be carried by their owner in a private vehicle or on foot; public transport should not be used.
• The animal must be taken for vaccination by a single person who does not present respiratory symptoms, preferably an adult under 60 years of age.
• The animal must be carried with a collar or in a crate and must remain at all times with the person who is taking it to the vaccination site who must have complete control of the animal.
• Before taking the dog or cat to be vaccinated, the manager must clean and comb it at home.
• At the institutional vaccination point, distancing from other people who carry animals and, where possible, from officials must be respected, using the signs that with masking tape show the minimum distance between person and person.
• The person carrying the animal must wear a face mask at all times.
• The person in charge of the animal to be vaccinated can verify that the vaccinator uses one needle and one syringe per dog or per cat and, in case of wearing latex gloves, that he/she changes them each time he vaccinates an animal of different owners. In addition, if gloves are not used, the vaccinator must wash hands.