The Philippines Department of Health has announced that this year ( 2016 ) it will provide a full course of anti-rabies vaccines in 480 " Animal Bite Treatment Centers " nationwide.


In 2015 there were 226 reported deaths due to rabies.


As the Health Secretary said, " None of these deaths should have occurred since we have the necessary interventions to prevent rabies such as promotion of responsible pet ownership, early consultation when bitten by animals, and timely administration of vaccines. "


As part of the rabies elimination campaign, 33 provinces were declared " rabies-free " by DOH and Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry.


http://www.gov.ph/2016/01/05/free-an...cines-in-2016/



Please remember ( as in previous posts in this thread ) that vaccines may be used both for PRE- and POST- exposure prevention. The vaccine contains inactivated rabies virus. There are NO specific contra-indications to its use whenever someone has been attacked by an animal in a country such as the Philippines, even if there is no direct evidence of rabies in the attacking animal. Because of the consequences of untreated rabies exposure and because vaccination has not been associated with fetal abnormalities, it may still be offered in pregnancy.