MCHD observes World Rabies Day 09-28-26

September 28, 2026

MCHD observes World Rabies Day

MOBILE, Ala. — World Rabies Day is an international awareness campaign coordinated by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, a non-profit organization based in the United States. It has been commemorated each year on September 28 – the anniversary of the death of rabies vaccine pioneer Louis Pasteur – since 2007.

World Rabies Day aims to raise awareness and advocate for the global elimination of rabies. The 2026 theme, “We are Stronger Together,” emphasizes that ending rabies requires coordinated action among veterinarians, physicians, public health agencies, animal control, and pet owners working side by side.

“Rabies is almost 100 percent preventable, yet it remains nearly 100 percent fatal once symptoms appear,” said Kevin Michaels, M.D., M.P.H., Health Officer for Mobile County. “When families, clinicians, and community partners work together to keep pets vaccinated and respond quickly to animal bites, we can stop rabies before it starts and protect everyone in our community.”

Rabies is a virus that attacks the central nervous system and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. It is transmitted from infected mammals to humans, and all warm-blooded mammals – including people – are susceptible. Symptoms may include unusual behavior, irritability, headache, fever, inability to eat or drink, loss of balance, circling, seizures, coma, and eventually death.

Louis Pasteur’s development of the first rabies vaccine in 1885 laid the foundation for modern rabies prevention in both animals and humans. Today, routine vaccination of pets remains the most effective way to keep rabies from spreading in communities.

In Alabama, local health departments are tasked with providing affordable rabies vaccinations for pet owners. The Mobile County Health Department offers low cost rabies shots for dogs, cats, and ferrets that are valid for one year during weekend clinics. Vaccination against rabies is required for dogs, cats, and ferrets in Mobile County under local ordinance, and keeping pets up to date helps protect both families and the broader community.

MCHD’s Rabies Officer continues to vaccinate thousands of household pets each year through these outreach clinics. To learn more about the rabies control program, including clinic schedules and fees, visit https://mchd.org/disease-control/#rabies and https://mchd.org/events.