COVID-19 cases and vaccinations in humans have, understandably, garnered extensive attention in the media and online—but what about our furry friends?
Over the past six weeks, staff at the Cincinnati Zoo have worked diligently to administer two doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 80 of the facility’s animals.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the risk of animals spreading the virus to humans is low. However, the opposite scenario—in which a human infects an animal—has been observed in some cases. Specifically, animals are more likely to catch the virus in environments like zoos, where they live in close proximity to potentially infected humans.
Additionally, the agency said, “we don’t yet know all of the animals that can get infected”—meaning that protection is paramount.
In a Monday press release, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden described the preparations involved in vaccinating dozens of animals.
The zoo’s director of animal health Dr. Mark Campbell said, “We have three technicians (Amy Long, Jenny Kroll, and Janell Duvall), and they have their hands full with their regular routines and workloads.”
“Adding the task of vaccinating dozens of animals … to their plates was a big request,” he explained. “Not surprisingly, they rolled up their sleeves and got busy, working quickly to ensure that each multi-dose vaccine container was used within 24 hours of opening and kept at the desired temperature at all times.”
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