Can the rabies injection be given on the buttocks, and are the shots effective?

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I went through your query and understood your concern.

The rabies vaccination should be given to the deltoid muscle area in the arm. Injection in the anterolateral thigh is given if the arm is not fit for injection and in children. The efficacy is lesser and often ineffective if injected in the buttocks. Injection on the deltoid area of the arm in adults is more effective as compared to the gluteal region. However, your risk of contracting rabies is low, since it was neither a scratch, bite, or lick of an open wound. But, I suggest you do a blood test immediately to check for the presence of antibodies in the blood. After the test, I suggest you take the antirabies vaccination as per the WHO schedule depending on the antibody titer. Alternatively, you could take post-exposure prophylaxis as per the current WHO schedule for repeat exposure and antirabies vaccination, as a conservative approach.

I hope this has helped you.

Thanks and regards.