15 June 2004: Availability of rabies vaccine

Recent media reports have suggested that the rabies vaccine is in short supply in the UK at the present time. However, it is still possible to obtain rabies vaccine although only one make of vaccine is currently available.

There have been two makes of rabies vaccine available in the UK: Rabies Vaccine BP manufactured by Aventis Pasteur MSD, and Rabipur manufactured by Chiron. Rabies Vaccine BP has not been available in the UK following a vaccine recall in April 2004 (see Clinical Update: Recall of Rabies Vaccine BP). This has resulted in increased demand for Rabipur, and current stocks of Rabipur have been exhausted. In response to this Chiron have imported an identical vaccine that is normally distributed in Turkey (also called Rabipur). The only difference with the vaccine is in the packaging which has 'dual livery', i.e. information written in both English and Turkish. Because of this packaging difference, these batches of Rabipur are considered unlicensed, even though the vaccine itself is the same as the Rabipur previously used in the UK .

The importation of this Rabipur vaccine has been approved by the Department of Health in the UK and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.