Public opinion on the rabies deaths in vaccinated children in Kerala is heavily critical and frustrated, focusing on issues like management of stray dogs, vaccine efficacy, and governmental negligence. There is significant anger over inadequate solutions for stray dog control, vaccine handling, and administration. Distrust towards government actions is widespread, with calls for culling stray dogs and better medical practices. A strong demand for accountability and heightened community responsibility is evident.

Government of Kerala

Healthcare Providers

Community and Dog Welfare Organizations

We need a solution for the stray dog problem.  All these dog lovers in their cars have no idea what happens to the people on the streets at night!

warm_blue_sky

those so called 'Dog lovers' ,who dumps their pets after after some years should be fined heavily ....there should be a licensing system to own a dog

carpediegm

Authorities: India has a Dog problem??

Well I am curious whether the solutions which worked elsewhere like capture-neuter-release or something else would be practical here? Maybe if we take it seriously 

Children are getting torn apart and nope - no dog problem 

N0_Chains

Dog lovers will attack like rabid zombies 🧟‍♀️ now

Exciting_Strike5598

Does europe has stray problem, does US has stray problem? 
Capture all stray dogs or kill them or adopt them inside of buying foreign breeda

ImaginaryAlbatross15

The headline is written in a weird way, questioning the effect of the vaccine while acc to the article most of the deaths among vaccinated victims happened due to serious injuries to the head and torso.

SouthernSample

It's high time local people take things into their hands. Dog lovers, either take these stray dogs to your home, or take responsibility for all the deaths.

sabin_72246

Tyler-durden-died-4U

There are a lot of hurdles like:
Vaccination failure from
a)Improper administration of the vaccines/RIG by hospital staff. 
b) Improper storage of arv vials leading to bad batches.

Lack of availability of vaccination vials and HIG/RIG in all hospitals and clinics especially in panchayats.

Lack of infrastructure and proper hospital staff to care for a bite victim.


Hospital staff failing to follow up with tests to ensure vaccinating was effective.

Ignorance and negligence from the bite victims and families. Not cleaning wounds or kids covering up the encounter with a rabid animal. Infected Patients thus miss the golden window of getting vaccinated before the virus enters the cns.


Moreover the closer the site of the wound is to the brain, the faster the virus enters the cns and breaches BBB.

In such events it would be best to adopt a comma protocol and attempt to treat the patient. It could be cost prohibitive and may present some degree of brain sequala but atleast there's a chance of saving the patient's life.

Trying to vaccinate street population of dogs also presents similar hurdles. Mostly with maintaining properly trained staff and supplies year after year.

zincovit

Perhaps a review of vaccination protocol is in order. Staff at all health centres need to be familiar on the protocol for Rabies vaccine, in case of bites on head and face etc.


These needs to be mandatory and not subject to patient discretion.


Government needs to take measures, so many people are losing lives.

billfruit

Rabies is surest death. The government's job is to provide security to citizens from preventable deaths.  It is a shame we are in this situation in 2025

not_a_jawan

18,000 death alone from rabies is some thing really strange. Its the same country that feared nipa. Its high time to clear the streets with staining the meat.

Afraid_Tiger3941

The most important thing after getting bit, scratched or even doubt it is wash with SOAP, SOAP and SOAP. Please dont underestimate its power. Wash thoroughly for atleast 15 minutes with any soap irrespective of brand. Dont use dettol or other items to replace soap. If u have liquid soap, use it. If not use the good old soap. Its far more effective in killing the rabies virus immediately than any known method

Healthy_Tiger_3862


No waste management.

No proper neutering.

No stray shelters.

So called stray lovers don't take them in, can't take them in there is too many.

If you cull violent dogs you go to jail.


It's a shitfuckery.

B99fanboy

My brother got bitten by his dog, the dog is vaccinated still, we had to convince him to get rabies shot. He was really really angry with us, even now he is so angry we forced him to get the shot. 
He claims he is vaccinated so it’s okay, and Ive seen people getting rabies from vaccinated dogs too. 

He’s still super angry if the rabies shot conversation comes up. And there’s no winning.

Living-Actuary-2106

I agreee. And its not that the animal lover politician lovers dogs. All of its crap. There is a pharma lobby who is paying through the nose to ensure that no legislation happens ..

From the bottom of my heart, may these scum bags rot in hell

Inside-Government791

Something doesn't add up.

The superintendent said the kid was probably bit on the nerves. Lyssavirus travels max 1-2 cm per day through the nerves into the brain.

The kid was bitten more than a month ago, meaning the development of infection was slow, I don't know where it was bit but I'm thinking it's not near the brain because of this. I'm not a doctor but this doesn't add up. It seems there was plenty of time to treat it.

I bet either vaccine was from a bad batch, no proper immonoglobin was given or the treatment was delayed either from parents or the hospital.

Doctors please weigh in on this.

Sad News!! 

Number of stray dogs in kerala streets are increasing astronomicaly! Its high time the govt does somethin abt their control!

seanjoe859

I’m not sure why the state does not invest in chemical castration. Yes, it will need to be repeated, but it’s easier and faster, don’t need to do a surgery, possibly does not require a fully-trained vet. No welfare issues either.

stayin_aliv

Cull all street dogs and cats , control the garbage

TrickSeaworthiness95

Honestly just get it legalized and I'll personally do the pest control for my area. These dogs are absolute menaces. They are a mortal threat to everyone and especially the elderly and young.

damian_wayne14445

wasn't it recently that a 5 y/o lose her life due to rabies? the same like last year is happening again.

ruhiiima

We kill off ducks in an entire region if one of the farms have positive case of bird flu. Why cant the same be followed in the case of dogs?

Dont say I dont love dogs, I have a dog at my home and i'm the one that takes mine and my neighbours dog to get vaccine yearly.

BeyondMysterious2025

Bring in dog registration to the aadhar of the owner. Cull all the strays.

Thin-Theory-4805

1). Incorrect Data on death due to rabies: It's roughly 5000+, which is again too high.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(24)00490-0/abstract

Corrective immediate action is a must. Culling is not the solution.

2). From the report, I gather that RIG (immunoglobulin) was not administered, which is the fault of the hospital. IDRV, which is given in 4 doses takes time to act. RIG, which is also prescribed depending on the severity of the wound, acts immediately.

I_am_myne

Its soo fucking sad that, there is no one politically taking this seriously despire these many deaths

Zealousideal_Tank824

Rabies has no cure. Its a sureshot extremely PAINFUL death

You know what, in my area I can see a round table conference of 15+ stray dogs gathering and barking continuously at night, And these bloody dogs have killed many of my stray cats and kittens I cared for. (I understand it’s animal behavior) Surprisingly, there’s a well-known school right in front of my house, but no action has been taken so far. I’m really not sure how it’s considered safe to have so many stray dogs around a school area.

Can anyone tell me how to file a complaint about these stray dogs?

Chidchidi_Billi

We could try an impound and cull method. Impound for 2 weeks- give opportunity to dog lovers and conservationists to adopt within 2 weeks providing free of cost sterilisation and vaccination. Put down if not adopted within 2 weeks

No-Okra1018

what are the contributing reasons

## Main Reasons for Rising Rabies Deaths in Kerala

**1. Low Vaccination and Sterilization Rates**
- Inadequate vaccination and sterilization of both stray and pet dogs is a primary cause. Only a small percentage of dogs are vaccinated, far below the level needed to control rabies transmission[1][2][8].

**2. Poor Public Awareness and Delayed Medical Care**
- Many people are unaware of the need for immediate post-exposure vaccination after a dog bite. Delays in seeking treatment often result in fatal outcomes, as rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear[1][2][4].

**3. Ineffective Implementation of Control Programs**
- Despite significant spending, the Animal Birth Control (ABC) and vaccination programs have not been effective due to poor coordination between health, local government, and animal welfare departments[1][2][4].

**4. Increase in Dog Population and Bites**
- The stray dog population has surged, and dog bite cases have more than doubled in recent years, increasing the risk of rabies transmission[4][5][8].

**5. Waste Management Issues**
- Improper disposal of food waste in public areas sustains and increases the stray dog population, exacerbating the problem[2][8].

**6. Challenges with Pet Dog Ownership**
- Many pet dogs are not vaccinated, and some are abandoned, contributing to the stray population and risk of rabies spread[6][8].

**7. Severe or High-Risk Bite Locations**
- Some rabies deaths have occurred even after vaccination, particularly in cases involving severe bites to the head or face, which carry a higher risk of infection[3][7].

**8. Regulatory and Infrastructure Hurdles**
- There are too few sterilization centers, and regulatory requirements make it difficult to expand these facilities quickly[4][5].

## Summary
The surge in rabies deaths in Kerala is driven by gaps in dog vaccination and sterilization, low public awareness, poor waste management, a growing stray and pet dog population, and delays in accessing medical care after bites[1][2][4][5][8].

Citations:
[1] Efforts to make India rabies-free by 2030 but Kerala lagging back https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/kerala/general/efforts-to-make-india-rabies-free-by-2030-but-kerala-lagging-back-11-deaths-in-four-months-1524104
[2] Official apathy, lack of awareness blamed for surge in rabies deaths ... https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2025/Feb/17/official-apathy-lack-of-awareness-blamed-for-surge-in-rabies-deaths-in-kerala
[3] 2 out of 10 rabies deaths in Kerala were vaccinated, facial wounds ... https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2025/04/29/rabies-deaths-kerala-vaccinated-facial-wounds-fatal.html
[4] Kerala's Rabies Crisis: When Dogs Bite and the System Sleeps https://medicircle.in/keralas-rabies-crisis-when-dogs-bite-and-the-system-sleeps
[5] Over 100% increase in stray dog bite cases in Kerala in 7 yrs, three ... https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2025/02/03/stray-dog-bites-rabies-kerala-rise.html
[6] Dog bite cases in the Kerala increase by 200% in 8 years https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/dog-bite-cases-in-the-kerala-increase-by-200-in-8-years/articleshow/93766306.cms
[7] Emergence of rabies among vaccinated humans in India https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lansea/article/PIIS2772-3682(22)00125-1/fulltext
[8] Man's friend or foe? Public concern in wake of increasing dog bites ... https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/thiruvananthapuram/mans-friend-or-foe-public-concern-in-wake-of-increasing-dog-bites-in-kerala-8116261/

SyzygySeven

Everyone suggesting culling street dogs clearly does not know a thing about how zoonotic diseases work. A decrease in one reservoir (dogs in this case) could always cause the lyssavirus to mutate and increase its transmission via other hosts like cats and mongoose. 

All this is doing is detracting attention from the main source: big pharma and governmental failure.
The price of human immunoglobulin is extremely unaffordable. I suffered from a bite a while ago and it cost me 12k for human rabies immunoglobulin shots. Most people around me were unable to afford this and had to resort to horse immunoglobulin, which requires a lot more shots and is extremely painful because of how many times you get jabbed. A lot of parents actively chose to ignore the threat because they either could not afford it, or did not want to see their child in pain for over 5 hours.
Without subsidising therapeutics for diseases that have no cure once symptoms develop, we will not get anywhere. Not to mention how horrendous cold supply chains can be.

Culling street dogs will not do a thing, and I say this as someone who has adopted a naadan myself. The government has more than enough resources to ensure that street dogs in all municipalities are vaccinated and put in shelters. They choose to not do anything and spread hate for dogs that are suffering a lot more instead. Rabies will spread from other animals that are typically not known to be carriers, and cause a more severe health threat as most of them will go unnoticed.

lobotomisedbrainrot

ozhu_thrissur_kaaran

F**k man. Poor kid and her parents. Fk the system.

akghori

Bright-Till5059

I came in contact with a bat, no bite not even a scratch. Got my 3rd rabies shot 2 days back.

dragonFly0180

I’m really scared of this whole rabies thing. It’s not just some random fear .. it’s basically a death sentence if a dog bites you near your face, head, or neck. Even if you take the vaccine, the chances of infection are still scaryhigh.

Last time we were in Kerala, we were staying at a resort in Alappuzha and a dog bit my son. The staff there were so casual about it ... like, “Oh, that dog’s always around here, it’s fine.” I asked if the dog was vaccinated, and they all looked at me like I was speaking Martian. My wife and I freaked out and started running from one hospital to another, desperately trying to get the vaccine. We finally ended up at the district hospital in Alappuzha late at night. Man, that place was a mess .. no proper system, zero management, just chaos.

That whole vacation went down the drain. We were living in fear the entire month, constantly checking for symptoms, thinking any small fever could be the beginning of the end. Thank God nothing happened. But after that, anytime I bring up the idea of planning another Kerala trip, my wife shuts it down instantly. And I feel the same. I’m scared too.

There are just dogs everywhere .. bus stands, streets, walkways, you name it. It feels like you need pure luck to not get bitten these days. And now with news popping up almost every month about kids dying from rabies, it just makes my fear worse.

It’s heartbreaking, really. The Kerala government, the central government ...they’ve all failed to control this. If they can’t manage something like rabies, how can we trust them to handle anything bigger? It’s frustrating and sad. Why is our country still like this?

liyakadav

Stray animals are culled everywhere in the world. US /Europe are very sensitive to dogs. They love them like their own family members.

Yes they understand the dangers of stray animals and no one bats an eyelid if strays (and those who can't find a home) are culled.

So I don't get the dog-lover drama in India.

Nevermind_kaola

It should start at panchayat level. People wanting a substantial animal like a dog or cat must apply for permission to keep a pet and pay a registration fees of 10k, get the pet tagged and neutered. Owners of animals that roam free will be fined and the animal culled.  Instead of catching strays and putting them in pounds, panchayat  should poison them and  burn or bury the dead animals.

konan_the_bebbarien

In God's own country, only gods will be protected. Be it fictional or human gods. Poor girl, can't imagine the pain that the family needs to go through.

Kanye_Padinjaru07

Social awareness and stray dog birth control should be controlled.. but does Kerala government have time for that ?

Travelling_Officer

Culling was actually stopped because it wasn't working and not because Menaka Gandhi strong armed the government into leaving strays alone. 

Mas Culling of stray dogs was introduced by the British Raj 175 years ago and was carried out by Post independence Indian governments.  Dogs have been rounded up and poisoned, gassed and even bludgeoned to death over the years. Other than  this method being inhumane it never worked, because dogs are survivors and find ways to produce and maintain their packs.  Culling was stopped 25 years ago and ABC program was introduced instead.

ABC measures in rabies control had actually been working. The report of 18000-20000 annual deaths in India  was from survey conducted by Nimhans back in 2003. If you look at annual reports published on health department and ncdc websites , there have been only 50 deaths on average in the last 2-3 years. 18000 deaths per year from early 2000s to 5000 deaths  in 2017 to 50 deaths shows an exponential decline in human deaths caused by Rabies  While birth control measures adopted by ABC have failed and street dog populations have exploded, the number of Rabies victims per year.have come down to record lows.

Animal Birth Control and culling are both ineffective in the long run. Sterilization is preferable though because it's less cruel and violent.

And even If you hypothetically managed to somehow bring down street dog populations to zero, the virus will jump host. There are several other prospective animals that can carry the virus in its place.The first being domesticared cats

Where is milords of SC when we need them.  Why can't they give a strict order and make stray dogs vermin like rodants and give permission to public to kill them.

gunner0987

Such a cruelty, these are man made disasters. These so called animal lovers feed these animals on streets yet not willing adopt one.
When they want adopt they will go for the lovely NRE dogs.

cerebralazzazin

Silver-Building3438

What do you think about getting rabies vaccination as a safe measure in our place? Is it effective?

naiforce1

So I have a pet 3-year-old and we took the 3 vaccines in a months gap when she was a puppy but after that, we had to take yearly vaccinations I knew that, so I was away from home for 3 years and my parents couldn't take her to vaccination for these three years, my pet lives always indoor, no interaction with other dogs or animals, so my mom thought the risk of rabies is not a big thing, but I know the risk, is it possible to start the yearly vaccination again after this much gap?

Usual_Marionberry_11

Accidental_Baby

How do you test for rabies? Only post mortem examination of brain helps right? Or some new tests have come?

luxjo

If one can afford it, push for the milwaukee protocol, which is a therapeutic induced coma where the patient rides out the infection in a comatose state, they made it non standard because it's that expensive, lasting months of treatment, and yes people have recovered from rabies, and no it ain't cheap.

36KleaguesUTO

What is even the benefit of getting vaccinated

Ok_Resident6054

setnullset

The rabies vaccine in Gov hospitals are shit, idk why, probably it's stored, handled or administered improperly. I dont trust any lifesaving medication from gov hospitals anymore. People who are exposed please go to a private hospital and get your vaccine. After vaccination get a RFFIT test done to make sure you have enough antibodies.

Icy_Office7561

Here are some things you should keep away from dogs as they are highly poisonous to them.

1. Xylitol - Artificial sweetener found in mints, gums, mouthwash etc. also available on Amazon. A dosage as low as 5gms would be highly fatal.

2. Ibuprofen - a dosage of 1-2gms would be enough to cause death

DeathPriest69

I would put the whole responsibility on us (humans )by throwing food and garbage all over the place for the dogs to thrive !

Content_Virus_8813

Very unfortunate incident. The question here is why she didn't take post exposure prophylaxis. Rabies has no cure but the vaccine is very effective.

blahblahbitch420

Well the Article doesn't mention the grade of the bite,and so it's not clear wheather Immunoglobulin was needed at the moment
Read many comments regarding the quality of vaccine storage in govt hospitals, worked in one so I have to say the cold chain facilities are really good.

psidontexist

We are saved if only half the enthusiasm shown to cull stray dogs were diverted to acting responsibly and avoiding the issue by preventing  garbage accumulation.

emmurali

theenigma017

Alla appo ee vaccine kond onnum oru gunavum ile?

village_aapiser

 sterilization, shelter homes and curbing Waste dumping

[deleted]

if culling is needed it should be done...

Please teach our kids that they can always always come to us. That they don't hide issues that are big fearing we will scold them. Tell them that over and over and when they do tell you , don't go off the handle. And check your kids for bruises or scars. From animals, bullies, falls, anything. This is what we can practically do

QuotingThanos

Bullshit government. What are we paying the bloody taxes for? Aren't we citizens? 

No wonder the generation is moving out from this bloody political assholes.

Final-Image-5118

unvare

Salt-Policy7394

This menace started with a handful of breeders being given a free reign to sell pets. People who "buy" pets werent really bothered about discarding them later. one female out in the open, can become 25 in a few seasons and. 

Those breeders in kannur paid bribes because that stuff was illegal. I spoke to one of them around 8-9 years ago. The bribe was paid to the corporation's whos who. 

Now slowly the blame is being shifted on people who are feeding strays. The corruption at the political representation levels and government office levels is insane. They dont work even 1%. Just keep hiding behind animal welfare laws.

kannur_kaaran

Why do we always like to point fingers and blame the government and NGOs? If there are dangerous strays in our area, what's stopping us from getting rid of them ourselves?

HectorofTroyy

All kids need to be regularly vaccinated. And schools need to spread awareness. Or a body that goes to schools and conducts awareness classes on once in 6 months or something . Along with teaching them first aid

Why is this useless government doing nothing about the stray dog menace and rabies? How can they be so insensitive to people’s suffering?!

Everyday I see stray dogs tearing food waste from plastic bags. Ithalle nammal Non-tourists' Keralam?

Is this the same news again ? Still very unfortunate

Technical_Finish9875

drtenma25kenzo

Why can't kutta lovers accept that vaccines are not 100% efficient and we have to strike the root cause.

Most of the Kutta-lover activists you see are pharma companies agents. India is rabies capital of the world and big pharmas make a ton of money by selling vaccines. Even a small scratch of dog is enough for a vaccine sale. I hope one all the pimps of vaccines die painful death.

Rich_Chemist9657

TaxMeDaddy_

How this happened? I mean, has the rabies virus become resistant to its vaccine dose?

chair_on_table

മാർച്ച് 29നാണ് കുട്ടിയ്ക്ക് തെരുവുനായയുടെ കടിയേറ്റത്. തലയ്ക്കും കാലിനുമായിരുന്നു നായ കടിച്ചത്. 

Thalayil kadi kitiyal pinne vaccine eduthalum high risk aanu

AskTheRen

She got bit in the face. Virus spreads before vaccines take effect.

Samadhana_Kotham

I have been scared of rabies ever since i read this description of what a person will go through if infected

Poor girl, cant even imagine

https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/s/YegHliuw4L

Regular_Run_9695

If there was bleeding that's a Category 3 bite which would have required Rabies Immunoglobulin (unless previously vaccinated, then immunoglobulin not given) along with the vaccine.

"If that is the case" and Immunoglobulin not given, it's a case of medical negligence. 

If the child was previously vaccinated then there's no indication to give Immunoglobulin, then it's an unfortunate incident.

Local-You-7696

Oh God, that's such a terrible way to go. I'm absolutely terrified of walking outside if many people are not around.

Tess_James

The only solution is to not have any stray dogs on the streets like in all civilized countries.

Physical_Bill9756

I think they didn’t complete the vaccination

Minute_Doughnut_6419

IDRV is not enough. Didn't the hospital know it??

IDRV can fail if the injection went into the fat below the skin.

A novice query to informed people here. The normal vaccine for developing antibodies for Rabies, does it have any protocol for storage like above this temperatire and not below another temp? Could it be that tgis dose was not stored properly?
Wat about the direct antibody vaccine storage?

name_the_redditor

ruff_dede

There needs to be an audit on all medical cold chains across the country.

Without proper cold chains these vaccines won't work. Many of these vendors will not turn on chillers even for critical medicines.

In many countries - when a major power outage happens. All vaccines which didn't have proper cold chain will be discarded.

GoatDefiant1844

So many cases of Rabies reported despite vaccination. In all other countries, there would be a hue and cry, but here nobody is bothered.

Technical_Luck_4286

Vaccination failure though rare can sometimes happens, unfortunate for her. Or can happen when regimens not strictly followed.

Baileyandlav

ഇന്നലെ അക്കുട്ടി മറിച്ച് - ഏഷ്യാനെറ്റ് ന്യൂസ്

Particularseiva

any party that takes this issue in the next election, i am with them..

Prize_Student_5695

This is so sad. Poor little girl! Stray dogs are a menace and I have stopped going out for walks pirely because of this. No measures are taken to control or vaccinate the strays. 

I don't know if immunoglobulin was given to her along with the vaccine. If anybody gets bitten on hands or face please insist to the doctor and take immunoglobulin shots along with rabies shots. Its expensive,  but don't take any chances with rabies.

RippleNomad

Each neighbourhood can take care of this problem

baby_faced_assassin_

Sorry this is Drug session this will not become a big news

Puzzleheaded-Ad-8051

In Kerala, India, reports indicate rabies fatalities in previously vaccinated children, sparking public health concerns and calls for vaccine efficacy research.

Rabies Deaths in Vaccinated Children in Kerala

Why This Matters

Public Sentiment Summary

Highlighted Comments

Parties Involved

What the people want