Vaccinating dogs, not people, holds key to ending rabies deaths in Kerala, India
A new study has found that expanding dog vaccination in Kerala, India, rather than introducing routine pre-exposure vaccination for children, is the most effective and cost-effective way to eliminate rabies deaths in people. The research, led by the University of Glasgow, found that increasing dog vaccination coverage could reduce annual rabies deaths in the state to near zero within three years, at a much lower cost compared to adding a routine pre-exposure rabies vaccination for people.
The study also suggests that Kerala's dog population may be substantially larger than official estimates, which could further impact the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns.
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