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PUBLIC HEALTH - RABIES
GIVE IT A SHOT – RABIES VACCINATION PROGRAMS & CLINICS
By: Maureen E.C. Anderson
Lead Veterinarian, Animal Health & Welfare
Veterinary Science Unit
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Affairs
Since December 2015, more than 170
cases of terrestrial wildlife rabies have been
confirmed in Ontario. With the exception
of one skunk with fox-variant rabies, all of
these cases have been caused by raccoonvariant rabies in the greater Hamilton area,
representing the largest annual number
of wildlife rabies cases in Ontario in over
20 years. Add to that the smaller but not
insignificant number of rabies-positive bats
that are consistently found in the province
every year, and it’s clear that rabies is still alive
and well in Ontario.
The best protection against rabies is to avoid
contact with the reservoir species that carry
it; in Ontario that includes bats, foxes, skunks
and raccoons. Unfortunately, despite our best
efforts certain pets will inevitably have contact
with these species - even the “strictly indoor”
kind that occasionally escapes or manages to
catch the bat that found its way into the house.
The next critical line of defense for both the
pets themselves AND the people who care
for and come in contact with them is rabies
vaccination. This is not just an animal health
issue, but a public health concern, which
is why the Health Protection and Promotion
Act requires rabies vaccination for all dogs
and cats in 31 of 36 health units in Ontario.
Keeping as many dogs and cats as possible
vaccinated against rabies helps protect us all.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s when Ontario
was the rabies capital of North America, “low
cost” rabies clinics were commonly held by
veterinarians in an effort to do just this. Over
time, as veterinary medical standards have
changed and the risk of wildlife rabies in
Ontario has greatly diminished, these clinics
have become less common. While it would
be ideal if every dog and cat was seen by a
vet on an annual basis for a complete exam
and preventive care, including regular rabies
vaccination, the reality is many are not. Every
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year, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) assists
with dozens of calls regarding unvaccinated
or under-vaccinated pets that had to be put
under precautionary confinement periods
(PCPs) of 3-6 months because they were
exposed to a potential rabies vector. This
can cause a tremendous amount of strain on
owners and animals alike, and in some cases
has even resulted in owners choosing to
euthanize their animals because they felt they
could not adequately confine them for so long.
From a public health standpoint, rabies
vaccination is arguably one of the most
important parts of owning and caring for a
pet. By addressing some of the issues pet
owners see as barriers to rabies vaccination,
we can achieve greater uptake of this one
critical element, particularly in areas where
the risk of terrestrial wildlife rabies is higher.
The CVO’s practice standards with regard
to rabies vaccination programs includes the
option to offer this service in an accredited
facility as well as the traditional one-day
rabies clinic at an unaccredited facility. Some
clinics have added a requirement for pet
owners to demonstrate financial need in order
to target their rabies vaccination programs to
those who truly can’t afford to bring their pets
in for a regular appointment. In some health
units, vet clinics can also support public
health voucher programs, which help provide
rabies vaccination for pets of high-risk or lowincome individuals specifically identified by
public health personnel.
Which vaccine to use and when?
Another frequently-debated question with
regard to rabies vaccination programs is
whether one-year or three-year vaccine
products should be used. All three-year rabies
vaccines available in Canada still require an
initial booster at 12 months in order for the
three-year claim to apply. So when providing
a vaccine to a pet of unknown vaccination
status at a rabies vaccine clinic, the rabies
certificate must indicate revaccination is due
in a year. However, every animal responds
slightly differently to vaccination, and some
no doubt may be protected for longer than
a year, particularly if a three-year product
is used. Even though it can’t go on the
vaccination certificate, this is still beneficial
in terms of protecting the animal and thereby
the public from rabies. Vaccinating an animal
with a three-year product is still the best way
to maximize the duration of its immunity to
rabies, whether it returns for subsequent
boosters at the correct intervals or not.
If an animal is potentially exposed to
rabies (particularly if the offending animal
is not available for testing), it should be
revaccinated within 7 days regardless of its
current vaccination status. Even currently
vaccinated animals require this postexposure booster to avoid the need for a PCP.
Veterinarians do not need to wait 10 days
to vaccinate such an animal – the 10 day
waiting period for vaccination only applies to
a pet that has bitten a person, not a pet that
has been bitten by or otherwise exposed to
a potentially rabid animal. In most cases, to
err on the side of caution, a pet will be put
under a 10 day observation period after biting
a human regardless of its vaccination status.
However, the owner of a dog or cat that is
not currently vaccinated is in a position to be
fined by the public health unit for not being in
compliance with provincial regulations.
More Infomation
• Rabies •
For risk assessments, rabies testing,
post-exposure management for domestic
animals, current terrestrial rabies case
maps
www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/
inspection/ahw/rabies.htm
For CVO practice standards and rabies
vaccination programs
www.cvo.org
For upcoming rabies vaccination clinics
listed by health unit
www.oavt.org