(Photo: VCG)

Authorities and companies have been increasing the supply of rabies vaccine, the National Health Commission said following reports of a supply shortage in some places.

The supply of the vaccine is generally tight due to a decrease in production by some companies since 2018, the commission said in a statement on Tuesday.

To ensure supply, the commission has worked with departments such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Medical Products Administration to help potential producers and to accelerate approval procedures, the commission said.

Meanwhile, some companies have redirected some vaccines from the export market into domestic supplies.

The commission has also guided local health authorities to purchase the proper amounts of the vaccine by considering local situations to avoid excessive buying.

It has further required local authorities to organize education campaigns on rabies prevention and control, and guide the public to reduce the chances of dogs injuring people, the commission said.

The rabies vaccine is not included in the nation's immunization plan, which means it is not provided to the public for free. Shortages of supplies have been experienced recently in places such as Yunnan and Hebei provinces, making it difficult for residents to receive it.

In Handan, Hebei province, for instance, the supply has been tight over the past year due to a lack of production and increased demand, resulting in many clinics being unable to provide vaccinations, according to the city's center for disease control and prevention.

The center is in contact with producers to increase supplies at the center, it said in a statement.

Wang Yuedan, a professor in immunology at Peking University, said production of the vaccine has been interrupted by the novel coronavirus epidemic.

In addition, one major producer, Changchun Changsheng Bio-tech in Jilin province, was found to have fabricated records and used expired materials in the production of rabies vaccines in 2018. The company was ordered to suspend production and had to pay huge fines.

"The shortage in the supply of rabies vaccines deserves a lot of attention and should be resolved, as the vaccine is the only way to prevent the disease, which has a very high death rate," Wang said.

Authorities should take measures to encourage companies to increase production and teach the public about taking better self-protection measures against dogs and cats, he said.