Vaccinations for Everyone

Both people and animals benefit from the immunity that vaccines provide for life threatening and debilitating diseases. Through CCF’s participation in the One Health Initiative we are bringing life saving rabies vaccination clinics to the domestic animals living alongside the wildlife in rural communities. Since we began the rabies clinics funded by Foundation for Human Rabies Education and Eradication (FHREE) in 2019, CCF veterinary staff provided rabies vaccinations for nearly 1,800 cats and dogs. We have also begun rabies and spay clinics in Somaliland, treating stray street dogs in Hargeisa around CCF’s Cheetah Safe Houses.

The majority of CCF’s staff in Namibia and Somaliland were vaccinated for COVID-19 last year, and we were very fortunate to continue operating (with some restrictions) throughout 2021. We were happy to help the Namibian government bring vaccines to the rural community by hosting Otjiwarongo State Hospital at our Centre in Namibia for two coronavirus vaccination clinics. CCF’s staff and members of the community were welcomed to participate.

Vaccinations are also important in maintaining healthy livestock and minimizing loss of these valuable animals to predation. In our farmer training coursework at our Model Farm in Namibia, CCF conducts demonstrations for preventative treatments like vaccines. Allowing debilitating diseases to run rampant in herds, makes livestock easy targets for predators like cheetahs. This increases human-wildlife conflict which is one of the biggest threats to the cheetah’s survival across its entire range.

CCF veterinary team vaccinates all livestock on our Model Farm on a rolling or one time basis (depending on the particular medicine) to prevent diseases like Anthrax, Rabies, Caseous lymphadenitis (also known as cheesy gland), dysentery, pulpy kidney disease, tetanus, Pasteurella, respiratory infection, blackleg, clostriial metritus, blood gut, Brucellaovis and Brucella melitensis, and Chlamydophilapsittici.

On a quarterly basis, annually, all of CCF’s small stock (goats and sheep) are also treated for internal and external parasites. The products used for internal parasite treatment rotate between the following: Fenbendazole, Ivermectin, Albendazole, and Doramectin. To avoid parasites developing resistance to treatments, we rotate treatments based on which product was used previously.