Anti-rabies vaccines: Supply problems until at least 2020

The Federal Office for National Economic Supply (FONES) and the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) report that the availability of rabies vaccines authorised in Switzerland is still very limited. Thanks to compulsory stockpiling supervised by the FONES, the supply is guaranteed for emergency situations (post-exposure vaccination for those who may have been exposed to the rabies virus).

Information for healthcare professionals

Information for patients

Switzerland has been free of terrestrial rabies for many years, and bat rabies is extremely rare. Travelling or working in areas affected by canine rabies can pose a risk of rabies to humans. Anyone planning a trip to places where rabies is endemic (Regions with a high risk of rabies, e.g. due to stray dogs) should contact their doctor/pharmacist or a specialist in travel medicine in good time to discuss questions of rabies prevention.

The following table lists the anti-rabies preparations that are authorised in Switzerland. The table does not specify whether the preparations are available on the market. Rabies prophylaxis after suspected infection consists of full rabies vaccination and the administration of a dose of immunoglobulin (Berirab®).

Authorisation
number
Product name Indication Marketing authorisation holder
00417 Mérieux® Rabies Vaccine Information for healthcare professionals sanofi-aventis (schweiz) ag
00685 Rabipur Information for healthcare professionals GlaxoSmithKline AG
(As at: October 2019)