Because of frequent changes in procedure for ordering rabies vaccine, Public Health is advising emergency departments and hospital pharmacies to check the CDC rabies vaccine supply web site frequently to assure you have current information.
Because of limited existing supplies, health care providers are requested to take immediate steps to ensure appropriate use of human rabies biologics. Judicious and appropriate use of rabies vaccines is crucial to avert a situation in which persons exposed to rabies are put at increased risk due to depleted vaccine supplies. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) human rabies prevention recommendations outline animal exposures associated with the risk of rabies.
To ensure that thorough risk assessments are conducted, Sanofi Pasteur is requiring that health care providers confer with public health officials, and obtain a confirmation code before ordering vaccine doses for PEP. These codes are released after review of the facts of a given exposure and a determination that they indicate a sufficient level of exposure risk as outlined in the ACIP recommendations.
Health care providers and veterinarians are encouraged to educate the public regarding precautions to avoid rabies exposure and actions to take if an exposure occurs. These precautions include vaccinating pets and livestock that have close human contact, avoiding stray and wild animals, and safely capturing or detaining biting animals (preferably using animal control officials), or obtaining owner contact information for follow up. Persons with possible rabies exposure should be evaluated as soon as possible by a health care provider. Since PEP is an urgent medical issue but not an emergency, it can be delayed until animal rabies testing or clinical observation is completed. This approach not only limits administration of PEP to persons with confirmed rabies exposure, but it is also cost-saving and conserves limited resources.
