Data from: Optimal frequency of rabies vaccination campaigns in Sub-Saharan Africa

Rabies causes more than 24 000 human deaths annually in Sub-Saharan
Africa. The World Health Organization recommends annual canine vaccination
campaigns with at least 70% coverage to control the disease. While
previous studies have considered optimal coverage of animal rabies
vaccination, variation in the frequency of vaccination campaigns has not
been explored. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of rabies canine
vaccination campaigns at varying coverage and frequency, we parametrized a
rabies virus transmission model to two districts of northwest Tanzania,
Ngorongoro (pastoral) and Serengeti (agro-pastoral). We found that optimal
vaccination strategies were every 2 years, at 80% coverage in Ngorongoro
and annually at 70% coverage in Serengeti. We further found that the
optimality of these strategies was sensitive to the rate of rabies
reintroduction from outside the district. Specifically, if a
geographically coordinated campaign could reduce reintroduction,
vaccination campaigns every 2 years could effectively manage rabies in
both districts. Thus, coordinated campaigns may provide monetary savings
in addition to public health benefits. Our results indicate that frequency
and coverage of canine vaccination campaigns should be evaluated
simultaneously and tailored to local canine ecology as well as to the risk
of disease reintroduction from surrounding regions.