NYC Rolls Out Rabies Vaccine Baits in Parks
By Y.M. Lowy
Brooklyn parks are part of the city’s fall campaign to vaccinate raccoons against rabies using fish-scented bait packets. The Health Department is distributing the oral vaccines in areas of Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan where raccoons are common.
So far this year, 18 raccoons, one cat, and one bat in the city have tested positive for rabies.
The bait packets are small, brown, and fish-scented, containing a pink liquid vaccine that immunizes animals when chewed. Officials are placing them in wooded parks and green spaces in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the city’s Parks Department.
“Rabies is a serious disease that can be fatal,” said Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse. “New Yorkers can help by keeping pets up to date on rabies vaccinations and maintaining distance from wildlife. If you see an animal behaving erratically, please call 311.”
Officials emphasized that the baits do not pose a risk to people or pets, though the liquid inside can cause a rash if touched. Anyone who comes into contact with it should wash their hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.
photo: Shutterstock
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