Pristina, 25 May - Today, with an airplane demonstration from the Pristina airport, the EC Liaison Office and the Kosovo Food and Veterinary Agency launched the first distribution of the oral rabies’ prevention vaccines to the wild animals. 

Control and/or Eradication of Animal Diseases in Kosovo project is part of the EU financed five year regional programme aimed to control the rabies and classical swine fever in wildlife. Kosovo receives EUR 5 million for this project, whereas for the first phase of two years the EU has allocated EUR 1 million.

“It is good to see that Kosovo is ready to keep high the public health standards, is interested in clean food products, healthy cattle and understands the EU requirements,” said Kjartan Björnsson, Head of Operations at the EC Liaison Office. 

On Wednesday, 26 May, airplanes will start distribution of 300,000 vaccine baits to be released all over rural Kosovo. The vaccine baits will be distributed during three coming days by four special fixed wing KFOR airplanes and specially instructed crews.

Wild animal rabies’ vaccine prevents the spread of disease to the cattle, house pets and humans. This specific vaccine had been proved to be the only fully successful tool for the eradication of disease in Europe. 

Radio announcement warning the Kosovo population on the vaccine release has been broadcasted a week before the operations start.  Radio adverts are designed to help the people understand how to interact with the vaccine baits, and how to protect the cattle and children from the accidental contact with the vaccine.