Tanzanian authorities said on Thursday the east African nation was facing huge shortage of vaccines for rabies, a disease caused by dog bites.

Mohammed Mohammed, Acting Permanent Secretary for Health, said the government was working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) to alleviate the shortage.

The shortage of the vaccines came at a time when there was an outbreak of rabies in the country's regions of Lindi, Mtwara, Morogoro, Coast and Dar es Salaam.

Mohammed said the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Medical Stores Department (MSD) have come up with recommendations aimed at reducing the shortage,

"At least 1,400 vaccines against rabies are expected to be distributed by MSD from the first week of September," he said, adding that plans were afoot to ensure that there was enough supply of the vaccines for the next year.

Source : XINHUA