Rabies Vaccine and Immunoglobulin Supply

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
Date: August 18, 2025
From: Dr. Michelle Foote, Associate Medical Officer of Health
Subject: Rabies Vaccine and Immunoglobulin Supply

Dear Colleagues,

Ontario is experiencing a shortage of rabies vaccines and rabies immunoglobulins (RabIg). Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is working closely with the Ministry of Health to prioritize supply for high-risk exposures and ensure that health care professionals have access to rabies vaccines and RabIg.

Appropriate administration of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (RPEP) is vitally important to ensure patients have the necessary immune protection to avoid contracting rabies. Please note that there are some situations in which RPEP is not typically required.

RPEP is NOT typically required when:

• The animal is available for rabies testing: If exposure is not to the head, neck, or hands, and the overall risk is low, RPEP may be deferred up to 48 hours while awaiting results – however, initiate immediately for high-risk bites unless a collaborative risk assessment with public health supports brief deferral. Please see the Ontario Ministry of Health’s Management of Potential Rabies Exposures Guideline for more details.
• The animal is a healthy domestic animal, such as a dog, cat, or ferret, and can be observed for 10 days: RPEP can be withheld pending the observation outcome. Please contact OPH in these cases, as OPH will arrange for observation (however, please begin the series promptly if the animal becomes ill).
• The animal is a small mammal (e.g., squirrels, chipmunks, rats, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, hares): rabies in these animals is exceedingly rare in North America; RPEP is typically considered only if behaviour was highly unusual. Please see the Canadian Immunization Guide for examples of unusual behaviour (e.g., a squirrel bite while the animal is being fed is not unusual).

Please see Ottawa Public Health’s Health Care Provider Information on Rabies webpage and the Ontario Ministry of Health’s Management of Potential Rabies Exposures Guideline (2020) for more detailed guidance.

Contact Ottawa Public Health

All animal bites and exposures to humans must be reported to Ottawa Public Health:

1. Online: Animal Exposure Reporting Form HCP - Ottawa Public Health
2. Phone: 
   • Regular Business Hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.): 613-580-6744 (after selecting language press 2 to enter the Healthcare stream, 1 to report to Ottawa Public Health, then 1 again to report an animal bite) or: 
   • After hours/weekends/holidays: Please call 3-1-1 and request to speak to a Public Health Inspector 
3. Fax: A pdf version of our reporting form can be printed off and faxed.

If you have questions regarding a potential exposure to rabies, please call OPH using the numbers above.