by L. Lopez

Tabuk, Kalinga (27 November) -- Determined to post zero rabies death record this year, the province assures ready supply of human anti-rabies vaccines at the provincial animal bite center and has given free vaccines to 102 indigent patients from October 2 – November 18.

As the province's commitment to the national agenda in the fight against rabies, the animal bite center announced a nine-month supply of anti-rabies vaccines that is free to indigent patients taking their first doses.

The country aims to be rabies-free, together with other nations in the world, by the year 2020. This agenda was reached in the recent world anti-rabies summit.

In the past three years, Kalinga posted a rabies death rate of three annually. This prompted the province to invest in anti-rabies efforts that centered on massive dog vaccination.

These cases were concentrated only in Pinukpuk and Tabuk. Rizal municipality, which used to be a rabies-prevalent area, reported its remarkable zero rabies campaign.

Rizal municipality models its own anti-rabies program in the province with its dog collar code system, indicating the sustained vaccination of dog pets in the area.

While there are also reported cases of dog bites here, heath authorities are assured of negative rabies, because of the sustained anti-rabies program.

Part of the campaign against rabies in the province is the education and advocacy to stop the practice of tandoc, especially among patients in the barrios.

As a positive result of the campaign, only six patients who visited the animal bite center reported they first used tandoc before seeking medical treatment.