Rabies vaccination - is it worth it?

kristinm

Both I reckon - too little space and too much positive reinforcement .... I just know its an increasing problem here, and in places where there are things like rabies .. it poses more of a problem I guess.

Oyar

In many areas where monkeys coexist with humans... they have reached a stage where .... they actualy demand for food rather than wait for it to be offered.

In such areas .. be careful not to be holding anything which would indicate food.

Almost 10 years ago .. my cousin was attacked by a monkey after it mistook new slippers in a brown paper packet ... as a food packet.

manali4now

That's a tough call. I had the series...But then I had close encounters with dogs in India. (One scary experience where a dog bit my boot as I pedeled down the road in Pushkar)

If you plan to be close to city centers or within a day's journey to a city center, then I would say, don't get the series. But if you plan to be trekking off the beaten path where it will take you 24 plus hours to get to a major hospital, then get the series.

kristinm

Those injections are painful!! I've only had 2 - another on Friday and 2 more after that...

PeakXV

Not far from where I live a fox attacked a pet dog, the dad shot it and the kids picked it up to dispose of it - it turned it had bat rabies - they had to get their shots commencing in the finger tips ..... ouch!

__________________
We shall not cease from exploration and at the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started ...and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Eliot

Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

tasuray

Take the anti-rabis when you are bitten. In India two brands viz. Verorub and Rabipur you will get easily as injections in dose of five. Application is on 0 day,5 day, 15 day,30 day and 45 day probably.Each vial coasts approx.Rs.350/-.One should also take Tetvac injection within 24 hrs. preferebly for titenus.Same injections are applied for monkey, rat,dog, jackel and cat biting. May also be applied for tiger and lion biting ( I don't know exactly, ha ha ha...).These injections are not very painful.

brownboy66

ooowwwwwww! poor things - its no fun for anyone, but especially bad for kids.

Before we came to india we got a full spread of injections for our 3 kids (and parents too). This required a weekly visit for injections to our travel doctor - for six weeks. I thought our youngest (4 years old) would get to the stage that as soon as we got to the street where our doctor was - he would have a fit (let alone getting into the office) - but no, he took it all in his stride. Of course - I'm sure "happy meal Tuesday" , as injection day became known as, had something to do with it.

on topic (for a change) - I'm glad we got the shots. The monkeys in our street are very aggressive - especially the males. A couple of the neighbours have been scratched just in the past week.

machadinha

The rabies vaccines are said to not give prevention for very long (nor fully so), is that right? How do you go about this BB?

They're said to be unpleasant yes Kristin. What can one do...

__________________
Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

brownboy66

according to our vaccination booklets - the pre-exposure shorts are good for 1-2 years (and it recommends that follow up pre-exposure shots are administered every 1-3 years - providing your still in a rabies area of course). Reminds me I need to keep a check on our vaccination books (kind of hard to keep track of five books and where everyone is at - especially since its also mixed in with the usual bunch of kiddie vaccinations that our youngsters would be getting if they were back home anyway)! But important to do so.

ebby

Most of these vaccinations generally make the manufacturer rich. In case you are in a city or town where anti-rabies shots are available then no need for the vaccination. However, if you plan to Trek in remote areas where medical help is unavailable better to take the shots.

brownboy66

excellent advice! The only other thing I can think to add:

a) Of course this is an internet forum - your own doctor knows best,
b) as mentioned in previous posts - the pre shots simply give you more time to get to a doctor and get treatment - but from what I can gather time is of the essence,
c) the only concern I would have about relying solely on the post bite treatment as opposed to the combination of pre-shots plus post bite treatment is that it relies on there being a doctor/ clinic reachable ASAP, who has the knowledge to administer both the globulin into the wound as well as the vaccine (apparently the globulin is needed to neutralise as much of the virus in the wound while the vaccine takes effect).
d) apparently there is a difference between the more modern vaccines (tasuray mentioned two of them), and the older semple (which is injected into the stomach....eewww)!
e) if I haven't said it before - your doctor knows best!

Oyar

This is absolutely absurd that shots need to be given where the wound / bite is.

The modern shots like Rabipur are almost 100% guaranteed to prevent rabies if taken within 24hours of the bite & then followed up as per the required schedule. They are taken only in the arm & nowhere else.

Also .. for eg .. in the above case .. if the kids who picked up the fox ... did not have any cuts / wounds on their hands / bodies .. there would have been an absolutely ZERO chance of contracting rabies.

YOU CAN ONLY GET RABIES IF - ANY BODY FLUIDS OF AN INFECTED ANIMAL COME IN CONTACT WITH ANY OF YOUR OWN BODY FLUIDS.

An animal biting you will transmit rabies from its SALIVA to your BLOOD.

ALSO ... atleast in India - It is almost IMPOSSIBLE to 100% acertain if an animal has rabies or not in less than 3 days of its death.

The only 100 % way of ruling out rabies is -
1. certain blood tests are done AND
2. certain tests are done on the DEAD ANIMAL's BRAIN.

Therfore incase you are bitten / scrathched - YOU MUST TAKE THE SHOTS!... if you wait for symptoms or wait for the animal to die & then do test on the animal .. it may be too late.

I was bitten by a dog ... which was like the society pet. It had all the supposed symptoms of rabies. It bit be real bad on the leg. So bad, that i just could not walk or move the leg for 3 days. I took the shots as prescribed in my previous post. Touchwood im still ok (but at times i go a bit mad )

Oyar

A bit of advice on dealing with dogs who chase / strays on indian roads. This is just based on personal experience.

This is most applicable when you are on a 2 wheeler

Option A
You see a pack of dogs & feel they are likely to chase you / snap you.
1. Immediately slow down to a very slow speed & proceed making as little noise as possible.
2. Appear disintrested in them. Pretend they dont exist.
3. DO NOT SHOW ANY FEAR
4. DO NOT look at any dog in the eye.

For some reason .. if you dont make noise .. dont get scared .. they loose intrest in you. My personal feeling is the dogs chase & snap .. only out of pleasure .. & not really because they are protective. (unless in private or enclosed property) So if you look boring to them .. they leave you alone.

Option B
Turn the tables on them
1. Make noise (rev your bike, blow horn) Also flash headlights.
2. Head straight for them
3. Look them in the eye with a broad smile on your face
4. Your body language has to be that you enjoy scaring them.

The apparent fiercest dog will shit bricks & run like a scared pussycat.

PeakXV

Considering they only touched the carcass with their hands and also considering that in Canada with very dry air combined with extreme low temperatures - many people have cracks/breaks/chapping to their skin especially on their hands and fingers - then the medical decision that was taken could be hardly considered absurd at all.

Are you a Dr. or medical professional of any kind?

brownboy66

Sorry - not to be argumentative but that's just plain wrong and dangerous ( if you check the WHO site, you'll find out why)

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs099/en/

Obviously if bitten - first requirement is to get to a medical professional (which I am not by the way - but I figure you don't have to be a medical professional to say "see a medical professional).

From the way it was explained to us, Rabies vaccine like Rabipur takes time to work. The medication injected into the wound site is not a vaccine - its a rabies immunoglobulen (RIG). Its injected into the wound to prevent as much as possible, the rabies virus from becoming established, until the vaccine can take effect.

There are different kinds - Human rabies immunoglobulen (HRIG) is apparently the most effective - but its hideously expensive - so may not be readily available everywhere. You may end up with Horse RIG instead! The point is from what I understand if you get a bite/ wound both the immunoglobulen and the vaccine are needed as part of the treatment.

In case your wondering - there was a case in Thailand a few years ago of a boy bitten by a family pet (which had twice been vaccinated for rabies). The wound was cleaned and treated. The dog died on day 5 and was tested for rabies - positive. Treatment was started immediately on the boy with the vaccine - and RIG was administered, but not into the wound. The boy showed signs of rabies on day 18, and died on day 23.

Definitely agree with you on that one. Don't wait to see what happens to the animal. Get to a doctor as soon as possible.

Hmmmm....I wonder as well. Maybe a medical professional on IM will be able to enlighten us all. In any case I imagine one of the things they would say is "seek medical advice - ASAP"! ;-)