These days, it’s hard to convince people to get vaccinated.
But if you think convincing people to come into Walgreens and get even a free vaccination is difficult, well, you should try convincing a raccoon to do so.
Racoons are notorious anti-vaxxers – in fact, they typically shun all medical treatment. That’s why state wildlife officials are, once again this year, propagating a total scam on the unsuspecting omnivorous, nocturnal mammals.
In what is an annual program, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is working with the US Department of Agriculture to help prevent the spread of rabies in the state. Wildlife Services is now distributing oral rabies vaccine to wild raccoons in North Carolina.
Beginning in early October each year, tasty seafood treats containing oral rabies vaccine are aerially distributed in Alleghany, Ashe, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, Macon, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania, Wilkes and Yancey Counties.
This year the program began on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
Raccoons in Guilford County won’t get the non-consensual vaccinations, but neither will they have very tasty treats dropping from the sky like manna from heaven.
NCDHHS Deputy State Public Health Veterinarian Erica Berl said vaccinating the racoons against rabies helps keep Fido and Fluffy from becoming rabid terrors as well.
“Avoiding contact with wild animals and vaccinating our domestic animals and pets is the best way to prevent rabies, which can often be fatal,” Berl said. “The wildlife rabies vaccination program prevents the spread of rabies among animals in the wild, which in turn prevents humans, pets and other animals from becoming infected.”
The baits consist of a “sachet” – that is, a plastic packet that contains the oral rabies vaccine. To make the baits enticing to raccoons, the packets are either sprinkled with a fishmeal coating or encased inside hard fishmeal, which state officials describe as “polymer blocks about the size of a matchbox.”
When a raccoon takes the bait and begins to enjoy his fortuitous treat, the vaccine packet is punctured, and the raccoon is inoculated against the vaccine. This causes the animal’s immune system to produce antibodies that provide protection against rabies.
It also, no doubt, produces an unpleasant aftertaste.
Sneaky idea must have come from Faucci.
Hmmm, test animals for future deployment of the technique for humans? Sounds as insane as the purported suggested of deploying inhalable vaccines to overcome ” vaccination hesitency”?
Drugging the masses began years ago with the fluoridation of the water supply. They are determined that you will comply, one way or the pther.
Raccoons do wear masks willingly.
As for fluoride I did live in the Sacramento Valley as a young rascal and was unwillingly treated with the first treated city-infused fluoride water at an early age. One positive thing I can say is that at the age of 68, my dentist here has consistently complimented me on my teeth and the first time he saw me knew I wasn’t from around here because they were in such good shape. Having grown up in the Central Valley of CA however, I do have a slew of autoimmune issues but they didn’t become a big problem until I moved to the rural farm areas of NC so I’m not sure if it was the farming chemicals of CA, the smog of SoCal, or the rural farm chemicals of NC that contributed to the problems. I gave up trying to figure it out long ago.
One question I do have is what happens to cats, dogs, deer, kids that may pick up these fishy tidbits and eat them before the raccoons? Do they get inoculated also, or not?
I can’t get my rabid wife to swallow anything I give her.
But even after getting vaccinated, each raccoon must still stay six feet away from other raccoons and will need a booster every six months.
Fun fact of the day.