Rabies Vaccine Air-Drops Target Six States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has begun air-dropping oral rabies vaccines in several states to help reduce outbreaks in wildlife, with a specific focus on raccoons. 

These vaccines are explicitly designed for raccoons, a common carrier of the rabies virus. When raccoons consume the bait, they develop immunity to the virus, which helps to slow its spread.

The vaccines are packaged in small, flavored packets and are distributed via helicopters, planes, and vehicles in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

In total, nearly 700,000 oral vaccines will be distributed during the campaign.

The USDA's goal for this initiative is to prevent the spread of the virus to other states and to protect both human and animal health.

For example, on October 1, 2025, a raccoon in Ellenwood's Lincolndale Court area in Georgia tested positive for rabies. Rabies has become endemic, with several cases reported in DeKalb County each year. 

And in Texas, the Department of State Health Services launched its 31st annual Oral Rabies Vaccination Program bait drop for dogs/coyotes in January 2025.

In 2024, there were 412 positive rabies cases in Texas from 10,092 tested animal specimens, a 20% increase from 2023. Of the positive cases, 24 were in domestic animals and 388 were in wildlife, such as bats, skunks, and foxes.

The U.S. CDC states that each year, 1.4 million Americans receive healthcare services for a possible rabies exposure, 100,000 receive post-exposure prophylaxis, and fewer than 10 die from rabies due to robust prevention efforts.

A recent rabies-related fatality was reported in Kentucky.

Bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes continue to pose significant rabies threats to 75% of Americans, says the CDC.

The CDC advises anyone concerned about a potential rabies infection to contact a healthcare provider as soon as possible.