Health Canada gets rabies vaccine shipment as Ontario sees shortage, increased demand

A sign is displayed in front of Health Canada headquarters in Ottawa, Friday, Jan. 3, 2014. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)

TORONTO — Health Canada has received more units of the rabies vaccine and expects they will be distributed by the end of the month as Toronto continues to ration its doses amid a shortage.

An increase in demand for the vaccine following the death of an Ontario child that came in contact with a bat last fall has led to a strain on the supply in Ontario, officials say.

The two rabies vaccines approved in Canada, RabAvert and Imovax Rabies, have both experienced shortages in recent months. RabAvert said a rise in demand is to blame while Imovax has been dealing with packaging delays at its manufacturing facility in France.

Toronto Public Health said they’ve observed a “general increase in interest” for the vaccine since the child’s death in Brantford, Ont. last October – the first domestically acquired case in the province since 1967.

Afterwards, health experts encouraged anyone who had a potential exposure to seek medical attention, even if they didn’t have a visible scratch or bite, because of how easily the disease can be transmitted by the animal.

Last Friday, the city’s health officials instructed doctors to conserve the doses they have left for people with high-risk exposures to bats and wild animals.

Ontario’s ministry of health said it is working with federal partners to secure more doses while most of the other provinces told the Canadian Press they’ve had sufficient supply.

A spokesperson for Health Canada said it has received Imovax vaccines, from Sanofi Pasteur, and that the federal agency is currently going through its standard safety, efficacy and quality evaluation process to make sure the vaccine meets safety standards.

A shortage of RabAvert, from Bavarian Nordic, is expected to end Feb. 14.

Karinne Lacombe, Bavarian Nordic’s director in Canada, said, “More people who are understandably concerned about rabies but have not been exposed to the virus are seeking vaccines in the wake of last year’s tragic death from rabies.”

Rabies is a rare viral central nervous system infection most often transmitted from an animal bite or scratch. The disease is preventable pre- and post-exposure through vaccination. Once clinical symptoms develop, such as confusion, breathing problems and seizures, rabies is almost always fatal.

Toronto public health officials said their eligibility criteria to conserve supply will stay in place until further notice. That includes only offering the vaccine to people who experience high-risk exposures, such as direct contact with bats and wild animals.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2025.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press