No free vaccinations this year

THERE will be no free rabies vaccinations for animals in the greater Durban areas this year. According to Joey Peens, Control Animal Health Technician and assistant manager at the State Veterinarians office Durban, free vaccinations were only offered in Phoenix and Newlands and in the areas of the Inner and Outer West earlier this year.

“Our rabies programme and strategy has changed a little bit, we are stretching the programme over two years now, since the disease is not so prevalent at the moment. We have had one reported case in March this year in Nagina towship which is still being investigative and we had a positive rabies result in February that was brought into the eThekwini area from the Ilembe region, a puppy that was only two months old,” she said.

She said it was important for people to know they should not transport puppies or dogs or cats for that matter, from one area to another without knowing that the animal had been vaccinated against rabies.

“With puppies under three months of age, the mother of the pups must have been vaccinated before she got in season and had pups. The pups will get their immunity from the mothers milk until they are three months old (12 weeks) and must then be vaccinated and followed with a booster a month later,” she said.

Peens said the Act 35 of 1984 advised that the vaccination was valid for three years if it is done correctly.

“Thereafter a booster vaccination is given that will last three years again,” she said.