Wednesday, October 24, 2007 ‘Anti-rabies pre-exposure immunization vital'
IN A place where population is at high risk in exposure to rabies, it is vital that these areas provide the anti-rabies pre-exposure treatment to its populace.
Thus explained Jose Pardito Jr., provincial epidemiology and surveillance unit officer from the Provincial Health Office, who said the Anti-Rabies Act of 2006 or the National Rabies and Prevention Program has provisions that include pre-exposure treatment to high risk personnel and post-exposure treatment to animal bite victims and pre-exposure treatment to schoolchildren aged five to 14 in high risk areas.
Pardito said the pre-exposure treatment, even without being bitten by a rabid dog, would provide lifetime immunity to a person against rabies.
“If a person gets bitten, even years after taking the pre-exposure treatment, he would no longer need the very expensive rabies immuno globilin shot which is being given to those infected by rabid animals and instead proceed to taking the second shot,” he said.
Pardito said taking the shot would provide a dormant immunity to a person and that it becomes active once injected with an anti-rabies shot. He said there is no side effect to taking the pre-exposure shot.
“If funded and supported by our local government, the implementation of the pre-exposure treatment to schoolchildren would provide the young generation security from the life-threatening disease and would also support the goal of the national government towards a rabies-free country in 2020,” he said.
With its endeavor to achieve a rabies-free province in 2010, the Kalinga Provincial Health Office, thru the PESU, recently received a plaque of appreciation for its accomplishments and initiatives in establishing the Kalinga Animal Bite Treatment Center.
