<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1fgxZa_0wPXxnVV00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1fgxZa_0wPXxnVV00" width="1320" height="743" >CINCINNATI (WKRC) - For the first time, students working with animals at the Cincinnati Zoo are following new health protocols designed to protect both humans and animals from illness.These measures include COVID-19 vaccinations for students, a step that aims to reduce the risk of virus transmission to the animals.Ishmail Henderson, known as Malik, a student at the Zoo Academy, recently received his COVID-19 vaccination with assistance from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital team."I was scared at first," said Henderson.Despite his initial apprehension, he rolled up his sleeves for the shot, driven by his passion for working with animals."First, I'm a basketball player; I like to play basketball, but if I didn't do that, I'd probably be an animal scientist or something like that," said Henderson.The Zoo Academy integrates classroom learning with hands-on experience, as explained by Jayden Clack, an 11th grader at Hughes High School."We do a lot of hands-on with the animals, like taking care of them and feeding them," said Clack.Mike Wenninger, the Director of Animal Health at the Cincinnati Zoo, emphasized the importance of vaccinations."It maybe makes them less of a risk to our animals," said Wenninger.He noted that both humans and animals can exhibit similar COVID-19 symptoms, such as respiratory issues, coughing, sneezing, lethargy, and fever.Lisa Crosby, Clinical Director for School-Based Health Systems at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, highlighted the need for student vaccinations."We need to vaccinate our students with the COVID vaccine so we can prevent transmission, ideally to the animals," said Crosby.While the National Institutes of Health data indicates that the overall risk to animals is low, certain species, such as great apes and big cats, are more vulnerable due to specific receptors. Daveon Clark, another 11th grader at Hughes and the Zoo Academy participant, expressed his thoughts on the matter."I was thinking that's crazy, but at the same time, I knew because we're the same, animals and humans," said Clark.Regarding domestic pets, Wenninger reassured that dogs and cats are not among the most vulnerable to the virus."Domestic cats can get it, but their symptoms are pretty mild, and it's been pretty rare that they've actually become severely ill from it," said Wenninger.The best advice remains familiar: wash your hands as often as possible. Among the animals, red pandas are Henderson's favorites. When asked why, Henderson simply said, "Just lazy."</div></body>

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COVID isn't just a human problem; zoo animals are high-risk too

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - For the first time, students working with animals at the Cincinnati Zoo are following new health protocols designed to protect both humans and animals from illness. These measures include COVID-19 vaccinations for students, a step that aims to reduce the risk of virus transmission to the animals.