Rabies vaccines

Overview

WHO offers information and recommendations on the vaccines represented in the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). According to its global mandate, the Organization is issuing a series of regularly-updated position papers on other vaccines and vaccine combinations against diseases that have an international public health impact. These position papers are concerned primarily with the use of vaccines in large-scale immunization programmes. However, limited vaccination for individual protection may be a valuable supplement to the national programmes as emphasized in this policy document.

The position papers summarize essential background information on the respective diseases and vaccines, and conclude with the current WHO position concerning their use in the global context. The papers have been reviewed by a number of experts inside and outside WHO, and are designed for use mainly by national public health officials and immunization programme managers. However, the position papers may also be of interest to international funding agencies, the vaccine manufacturing industry, the medical community and the scientific media.