Department of Health warns of rabies vaccine shortage

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines — Saying there is a shortage of human rabies vaccine, health authorities in this province urged residents to protect themselves against animal bites.

Provincial health officer Anna Ma. Teresa de Guzman said yesterday the Department of Health (DOH) informed them that the vaccine shortage is not only a nationwide, but global problem.  

In a memorandum to provincial health officers, chiefs of hospitals, health centers and animal bite centers dated Feb. 28, DOH-Ilocos director Myrna Cabotaje said there would be a delay in the delivery of the vaccine in the second quarter of this year due to  procurement issues. 

De Guzman called for early vaccination of animals, especially dogs, to prevent rabies in humans. 

“The responsibility is with dog owners to have their pets vaccinated,” she said. “The mindset of dog owners is  there is a human rabies vaccine. But...your dogs must be the ones protected.”

De Guzman said the provincial health office’s vaccine delivery for the first quarter of the year has been depleted.

Records at the Pangasinan health office show that there were almost 73,000 animal bites with six fatalities last year.

Two deaths have been recorded among 2,700 cases since January this year.