The Youngstown City Health Department is distributing rabies immunization packets. 


The Health Department crews are driving around the city, throwing the bait out of the windows of vehicles. 


Erin Bishop, from the Youngstown City Health Department, said multiple 3 person crews will be driving around Youngstown dispersing small gel packets of the rabies vaccine. 


These crews, Bishop said, will cover every street in the City of Youngstown, except within Mill Creek MetroPark. 


Bishop explained that the Youngstown Health Department was given maps of Youngstown by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. These maps describe where, and how many, packets should be placed in order to combat rabies in raccoons. 


The Ohio Department of Natural Resources distributed the same rabies vaccine bait packs for raccoons last week. 


The bait was delivered to almost the entirety of Mahoning County by helicopter.


According to Bishop, and the Department of Natural Resources, the immunization packs are no threat to family pets however, you should keep you animals on leashes for up to five days to give raccoons every opportunity to eat them.


If you do come in contact with the bait, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly.