UTRECHT (ANP) – There is currently a national shortage of the rabies vaccine. This is due to supply problems at both producers of the vaccine, according to GGD Reisvaccinaties. The national organization assumes that sufficient vaccine will not be available again until January 2024. The trade association of pharmacists KPMG also reports the shortages on their website.
The shortage means that people cannot get a preventive vaccination if they go to a country where rabies is common. These are mainly countries in Africa, Eastern Europe, South America and Southeast Asia. Cats, dogs, bats and monkeys in particular with the virus transmit the disease to humans by biting, scratching or licking a wound. Rabies leads to a very serious brain infection that is often fatal. Worldwide, about 60,000 people die of rabies every year, according to the GGD. Rabies among animals does not occur in the Netherlands.
Due to the shortage, the GGDs in the country only vaccinate people who have had an incident during their trip. People who had already started a cure can probably still finish it, but they should check with their own GGD whether that is still possible. The GGD strongly advises travelers not to touch live or dead animals abroad. Anyone who nevertheless sustains an injury by an animal must clean the wound thoroughly with water, soap, betadine or alcohol 70 percent and immediately call the emergency center of their own health insurance company.
A fully completed cure against rabies (two shots) protects for life, says the GGD. The vaccination is usually sufficiently effective seven days after the first shot.
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2023-08-13 12:01:30
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