Peru launches mass rabies vaccination campaign for 3.5 million dogs

Peru's Ministry of Health (Minsa) has launched the VANCAN 2026 mass vaccination campaign to combat rabies. The initiative aims to immunize more than 3.5 million dogs across the country on August 22 and 23 to protect the nation's 34 million citizens by interrupting the virus transmission cycle.

To achieve this goal, the ministry is mobilizing 26,549 vaccination teams, including field supervisors and brigadiers. Services will be available at health establishments, while mobile teams will set up points in parks, sports platforms, and high-traffic areas to ensure accessibility. Yuri Alegre Palomino, executive director of the Directorate for the Prevention and Control of Metaxenic and Zoonotic Diseases, noted that the country is working in coordination with neighboring nations, including vaccination efforts on the border with Brazil.