Vaccine banks for controlling dog-mediated rabies

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) regional vaccine banks are established for priority diseases, following a business model that depends largely on financial support from donors (with vaccine also purchased directly by individual countries and international organisations that have been granted access by the OIE to the mechanism), and is based on the concept of starting small and scaling up. The OIE vaccine bank for rabies was established in 2012 with a first production order of just 50,000 doses, but as of 31 December 2016, after five years, the OIE had ordered almost 16 million doses of rabies vaccines for deliveries in 24 countries. It was set up on the basis of OIE internationally recognised procurement procedures and the outcome of an international call for tender. Vaccine manufacturers are contracted to produce and supply high-quality vaccine on demand, but they also keep vaccines available at any moment so that they can deliver small quantities of vaccines for emergencies.