Community Corner

Montclair Cancels Rabies Clinic; Vaccine Recalled By the State

State officials have issued a recall of a rabies vaccines because of adverse reactions reported by pet owners.

By David Jones

The Montclair Health Department has canceled its scheduled Feb. 10 rabies clinic in Cedar Grove, after state health officials issued a recall of vaccines due to a series of adverse reactions reported by pet owners around the state.

Montclair officials said they were notified of the recall on Jan. 29, leading them to cancel the Feb. 10 clinic amid concerns that they would not be able to get a new batch of the vaccine in time.

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“After receiving some reports of adverse reactions from veterinarians administering animal rabies vaccine at municipal clinics, such as pain and swelling at the injection site, the department alerted local health departments to discontinue use and return the unused vaccine,” said Dawn Thomas, a spokesperson for the state Department of Health. “The department is working to acquire a new supply of a replacement vaccine for local health departments for use at municipal rabies vaccination clinics.”

Thomas said the state expects to get back 12,000 doses that were distributed to local municipalities in December and January. She said a total of seven pets had adverse reactions and a few were given emergency medical treatment for allergic reactions. No fatalities were reported.

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Keith Costello, senior registered environmental health specialist at the Montclair Health Department, said he was unaware of any pet owners locally complaining of adverse reactions and said this is the first time he can recall any major problems with rabies vaccines in the recent past.

“I’ve been here 13 years and I’ve never heard of anyone having a reaction,” he said.

He said the vaccine recall would not necessarily apply to all veterinarians, as local health departments often use a three-year vaccine, while many private veterinarians use a one-year vaccine.

The Feb. 25 clinic is scheduled to run as scheduled from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the Harrison Avenue Fire Station, at 151 Harrison Avenue in Cedar Grove. Dog vaccinations are scheduled from 6 p.m. until 6:45 p.m., while cats are scheduled from 6:45 p.m. until 7 p.m.

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