In September–October 2026, oral vaccination of wild carnivorous animals against rabies will be carried out in the territory of Lviv region. This was reported by the Main Directorate of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection in Lviv region.
The vaccine will be distributed manually on fields and in forested areas. The baits will not be placed within populated areas, in swamps, in bodies of water, or near motorways and railways.
In total, it is planned to distribute 346 thousand doses of the vaccine over an area of 13,840 km², at a rate of 25 baits per 1 km². More than 240 working groups will be involved in the campaign, including specialists from the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, veterinary medicine, local self-government bodies, district military administrations, forestry and hunting management, and users of hunting grounds.
The vaccine is a small nutritious briquette made of meat and bone meal, the smell of which attracts wild animals. Inside the briquette there is a jelly-like capsule containing the rabies virus antigen. After the bait is eaten, immunity develops in the animal in about 21 days and lasts for at least one year. According to the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the product is safe for humans, animals and the environment.
Residents of the region are asked to treat the vaccine baits with care. If, while walking in the forest or in a field, you come across such a briquette, you should not pick it up, damage it or move it elsewhere. The bait is intended for wild animals and must remain where it has been placed in order to preserve its attractiveness and the effectiveness of the vaccination.