Supplies of the rabies vaccine have been limited in the UK during 2026, with orders for both vaccines used here capped earlier in the year. By September 2026, UKHSA reported that one was available and the other was available with some restrictions. We have the rabies vaccine in stock at our Epsom pharmacy (checked October 2026), so you can start a full course now: book your rabies vaccine in Epsom for £80 a dose.
What’s happened to supply
Two rabies vaccines are used in the UK. UKHSA’s Vaccine update, its newsletter for health professionals, tracks how easy they are to order.
| Vaccine update | What it said about rabies vaccine supply |
|---|---|
| July 2025 | Both vaccines available |
| February 2026 | Both available with some restrictions, with orders capped each month |
| September 2026 | One available, the other available with some restrictions |
NaTHNaC, the UK’s travel health service, issued shortage advice for health professionals, saying that as of February 2026 both vaccines were “available in limited supplies”. It adds that in some shortages, the MHRA and the Department of Health and Social Care allow companies to import alternative vaccines.
Who comes first when stock is short
NaTHNaC’s shortage advice asks clinics to prioritise:
- travellers going to countries with rabies for long stays;
- young children;
- people planning contact with animals, such as vets and animal handlers.
If you’re in one of these groups, book early. With stock in Epsom, we can start your course now.
Why two doses aren’t a shortcut
The vaccine licences allow a two-dose course seven days apart, and the World Health Organization recommends one. But NaTHNaC says “A two-dose schedule is considered as partially immunised in the UK.” After a bite, partially immunised people get the same four doses of vaccine as people who’ve never been vaccinated, instead of the two that a full course would need. That’s why we give the full three-dose course. Our guide to how many doses of the rabies vaccine you need compares the options.
Rabies has been busier for the NHS too
UKHSA’s Rabies and Immunoglobulin Service, which advises doctors on treatment after possible exposures, says it carried out risk assessments for over 10,000 patients in 2025 and is on track to pass that in 2026. In June 2025, after a rise in requests, UKHSA brought in interim rules on who gets rabies immunoglobulin, the antibody injection given after higher-risk bites. UKHSA says it isn’t required for people who were previously vaccinated against rabies, unless their immune system is severely weakened.
What it means for your trip
- Start early. The NHS suggests getting travel advice around 8 weeks before you go, and the standard course takes 3 to 4 weeks.
- Flying sooner? The accelerated course gives all three doses in a week: days 0, 3 and 7.
- Book every dose at once. We’ll book your later doses before you leave your first appointment, so your course isn’t left to chance.
- Keep your record. If you’re bitten, a doctor needs to see you’ve had a full course to give you the shorter treatment.
In stock in Epsom
We have the rabies vaccine in stock at our Epsom pharmacy (checked October 2026). It’s £80 a dose, or £240 for the three-dose course. We’re at 94 Chessington Road, Ewell, Epsom, KT19 9UR, with a bus stop outside on each side of the road and a car park at Ewell West station nearby. People come to us from Epsom, Banstead, Sutton and Kingston. Call us on 020 8393 1000.
Questions about the rabies vaccine shortage
Is there still a rabies vaccine shortage in the UK?
In September 2026 UKHSA reported one vaccine available and the other available with some restrictions. We have it in stock in Epsom (checked October 2026).
Will I be able to get all three doses?
We have stock now, and we’ll book your second and third doses before you leave your first appointment.
Can I have two doses instead of three to save time?
Two doses count as partially immunised in the UK. If time is short, the accelerated course gives all three doses in a week.
I fly in less than a week. What can I do?
Call us on 020 8393 1000. The pharmacist will look at your dates and talk through what can be done before you go.
Is the rabies vaccine free on the NHS?
Not usually for travel: the NHS says you usually have to pay for the rabies vaccine for travel. Treatment after a bite is different and is free through the NHS. Our guide to whether 7 days is too late for the rabies vaccine after a bite explains how that works.
Sources
- UKHSA: Vaccine update, issue 361 (July 2025), checked 3 October 2026
- UKHSA: Vaccine update, issue 369 (February 2026), checked 3 October 2026
- UKHSA: Vaccine update, issue 376 (September 2026), checked 3 October 2026
- NaTHNaC: rabies vaccine shortage, advice for health professionals, checked 3 October 2026
- UKHSA: interim recommendations for rabies immunoglobulin use (30 June 2025), checked 3 October 2026
- UKHSA: rabies, summary of risk assessment and treatment, checked 3 October 2026
- UKHSA: the Green Book, chapter 27, rabies (May 2023), checked 3 October 2026
- NHS: rabies vaccine, checked 3 October 2026
- NHS: rabies, checked 3 October 2026
