BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Workers are using helicopters and trucks to distribute thousands of oral vaccines across a 17-county region of Alabama to stop the spread of rabies.
The state health department says about 900,000 packets containing a vaccine meant to be found by raccoons will be distributed along roadsides in populated areas including metropolitan Birmingham. Trucks will be used for that work.
Vaccine packets will be dropped out of helicopters or low-flying airplanes over forests and other rural areas. The health department says the contents of the packet doesn’t pose a risk of rabies to other animals or human.