| Summary: | Ambon is a rabies endemic area since 2003. Door to door mass
vaccination method involving vaccinators is the main control program.
Vaccination have not been effective as dog-bite injury and the incidence of rabid
dog are increasing every year. The objectives of this study were to identify factors
associated with vaccinator performance, factors associated with level of herd
immunity againt rabies, and to reveal relation between these two. A total of
21 vaccinators were interviewed using questionnaire which have tested twice
to obtain good validity and reliability. Good and mediocre vaccinator performance
were categorized based on the mean score of all the questionnaire. Dog samples
were determined by 95% confidence level, error 0.05, and prevalence assumption
74% resulting a total of 308 dogs. Four hundred and eighteen blood samples were
collected from five subdistricts and 14 villages using stratifed and household
cluster methods. The dog titers sample was stated as protective to rabies if its
antibody titers in ELISA test is � 0,5 IU/ml. The results showed that vaccination
coverage is very low i.e. 36.84% and the prevalence of protective antibody titers
is 3.35%. Linear regression analysis reveals factors influencing the vaccinator
performance are vaccinator knowledge and availability of facilities supporting
vaccination while dog ownership, subdistrict of Nusaniwe, subdistrict of Baguala,
dog owner education, post-vaccination period of 0 - 6 months, sex, and dogs kept
as a guard house affect protective level of antibody titers. Unweighted logistic
regression revealed that subdistrict of Baguala (OR = 0.05), subdistrict of Sirimau
(OR = 0.09), dog kept as a guard house (OR = 3.96), dog owner education
(OR = 12.29), and post-vaccination period of 0 - 6 months (OR = 27.08) are
significantly associated with dog�s immunity. The results of t-independent test
showed no mean dog antibody titers againts rabies difference (P > 0.05) between
good and mediocre vaccinator performance, therefore, there is no relation between
both of them. The availability of facilities to support vaccination and training for
vaccinators should be prioritized. Vaccination programs need to be improved by
considering the four factors that emerged in these two regression results.
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