Rabies is a serious viral disease affecting the nervous system. It is transmitted through the bite or scratch of an infected animal, most commonly dogs, monkeys, or bats. Once symptoms appear, the disease is almost always fatal, which is why pre-travel vaccination and prompt action after any animal contact are so important for travellers visiting endemic regions.
Pre-exposure vaccination involves three injections given over 3 to 4 weeks. Having the course before travel does not mean you can ignore a bite when abroad, but it does mean that post-exposure treatment is much simpler and does not require rabies immunoglobulin, a product that can be impossible to find outside major cities in many countries. For children and people planning extended or remote trips, pre-exposure vaccination is strongly recommended.
If you are bitten or scratched by an animal abroad, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical care as soon as possible, even if you have been vaccinated. Call us on 0161 437 2634 if you would like advice on whether the rabies course is appropriate for your itinerary.
When you need this vaccine
- Travel to parts of Asia (including India, Thailand, Vietnam, and Bali), sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America where rabies is present in dogs and wildlife
- Travellers who may handle animals, including wildlife volunteers or those working with bats
- Extended trips or remote travel where medical care after a bite could be hours or days away
- Backpackers and adventure travellers with significant outdoor exposure
- Children, who are considered at higher risk because of their tendency to interact with animals
Schedule
- Pre-exposure course: 3 doses of the vaccine, given on days 0, 7, and 21 (or 28).
- An accelerated schedule of days 0, 3, and 7 is available when time before travel is short.
- Even after completing the pre-exposure course, two further doses are still needed promptly if you are bitten. The pre-exposure course means you do not need the additional rabies immunoglobulin treatment, which is often unavailable outside major cities.
- Protection from the pre-exposure course lasts several years but does not remove the need to seek medical care urgently after any animal bite.