Common "Rabies Vaccine" queries answered by top doctors | iCliniq

Rabies Vaccine

The rabies vaccine is used to prevent rabies, a deadly virus that spreads through the infected animals' saliva when bitten. They are given to people who have an increased risk of developing rabies, such as veterinarians, animal handlers, and rabies laboratory workers. Preexposure vaccination is given with 1.0 ml of rabies vaccine intramuscularly on days 0, 7, 21, and 28. A booster dose of 1 ml is given to maintain the serum titer more than 1:5 serum dilution. Post-exposure, unimmunized individuals are given 1 ml of five doses intramuscularly on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28 with human rabies immunoglobulin. In previously immunized persons, 1 ml is given intramuscularly on days 0 and 3.

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What happens if the vaccine site is touched with sanitizer?

Query: Hello doctor, I had been taking the anti-rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin since one month. I took the injections three times, two days after the other and the last dose recently. After about 40 minutes of the vaccine, I sanitized my hands with hand sanitizer in home and touched the vaccine s...  Read Full »


Dr. Kaushal Bhavsar

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I can understand your concern, and no need to worry about this. You need not worry about vaccine efficacy, and it will be effective. I hope I have solved your query. I will be happy to help you further. I wish you good health. Thanks.  Read Full »

I got bitten by a dog and took a tetanus shot and antibiotics on the same day. Do you think I need a rabies shot as well?

Query: Hello doctor,I got bitten by a dog on Sunday morning. I went to a local doctor on the same day and got a tetanus shot and antibiotics. Do you think I need a rabies shot as well? And if so, where could I get this from?Kindly help.  Read Full »


Dr. Aida Abaz Quka

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I read your query and understand your concern. As far as I know, rabies disease has not been encountered in your country for many years. And anti-rabies vaccine immunoglobulins are not commonly used in hospitals or pharmacies, as most dogs are vaccinated. If the dog i...  Read Full »

I was hair-dried with a dog-licked cloth. Do I need a vaccine?

Query: Hello doctor, Today I had a haircut in the saloon. First, my hair was washed, then they used clothes for hair drying, which may have been licked by a street dog because these dogs were present there. After the haircut, I had a small scratch with a blade on my head that I washed with shampoo. Shoul...  Read Full »


Dr. Shubadeep Debabrata Sinha

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. You need not have to worry about contracting rabies. The street dogs may not be rabid. However, if possible, you may watch the street dogs, signs and symptoms of rabies, or let a veterinarian check if the dog is identified. Rabies spreads by bites, scratches, and lic...  Read Full »

Do rabies shots work when injected in the buttocks?

Query: Hello doctor, A stray dog licked me on my right leg a few months ago. I consulted a doctor who suggested vaccine shots. But, he gave the rabies shots on my buttocks. Are they effective on the buttocks, or am I still at risk? Please help.  Read Full »


Dr. Shubadeep Debabrata Sinha

Answer: 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 i...  Read Full »

Does my wife need an anti-rabies vaccine for a bat scratch?

Query: Hello, Sir, my wife, got a scratch near her forehead, but there is no visible blood. She cannot determine the exact cause of the scratch, but it might be due to the branches of trees in our garden. Some bats are staying near my house. If the scratch is by any bat in the worst case, does she require ...  Read Full »


Dr. Kaushal Bhavsar

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I can understand your concern. However, you need not worry about rabies or other infection. Be relaxed and calm. I suggest giving her a TT (tetanus toxoid) injection, and there is no need for a rabies vaccine. I hope I have solved your query. I will be happy to help yo...  Read Full »

Is a man safe after receiving a rabies vaccination?

Query: Hi doctor, I would like to know if a man is considered safe if he receives a vaccination for rabies after eight months of a dog bite and completes all doses. Also, if the virus has already entered the spinal cord and was on its way to the brain (but did not make it), will the vaccine still kill the ...  Read Full »


Dr. Vinay Dange Ramesh

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I understand your concern. If your dog is still alive and healthy eight months after the scratch, there is no need for therapy. The dog would have perished by now if it had been infected with rabies (a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of infected animals)...  Read Full »

Can rat bites cause scratches with no pain on the hand?

Query: Hello doctor, When I got up from sleep today, I found two scratches and small wounds on my right hand. I am not sure, but I may have scratched myself in my sleep. I suspect a rat had bit or scratched me while I was asleep. I have attached two images of my hand. Please see them and let me know if it ...  Read Full »


Dr. Kaushal Bhavsar

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I have read your query and understand your concern. I looked at the images you attached (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity). And they are not rat bites. No need to worry about it. You do not need to take any vaccine. I hope this has helped you o...  Read Full »

A stray dog's paw touched my toes near a minor cut two months ago. Should I get a rabies vaccine?

Query: Hi doctor, Around two months ago, I was standing outside when some stray dogs started fighting each other. One of the stray dog paws touched my toe skin. Also, there was a minor cut below the toe. (The dog touched my toe skin, not the minor cut ). After this, I sanitized my whole foot with an antis...  Read Full »


Dr. Shahad Alshehri

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I have read your query and understand your concern. You are on the safe side. There are ways to transmit rabies without a bite, but it only happens if there is contact with infectious animal saliva and an open wound or crack on the skin. Rabies can not enter the ...  Read Full »

I found some stray cats with rabies. I was not bitten or scratched. Should I be worried?

Query: Hello doctor,I found some stray kittens and the veterinarian said that they had rabies. I did not get bitten or scratched and I do not have any open wounds. Should I be worried?Thank you.  Read Full »


Dr. Ighodalo Nathan

Answer: HI, Welcome to icliniq.com. I can understand your concern. The usual mode of transmission of rabies is through the bites of an infected animal or contact with the saliva and nervous system tissue of an infected animal. For rabies to be transmitted, the infected material must breach the body's nat...  Read Full »

Is there any chance of developing side effects after the preexposure rabies vaccine for my 4-year-old son?

Query: Hello doctor, I wish to give preexposure rabies vaccination to my 4-year-old son for his safety. But I came to know from the internet that the fear of anaphylaxis is always present with every vaccine. Till now, he has received all routine vaccines but has never developed any serious side effects, ex...  Read Full »


Dr. Prakash Chandra Girdhar Lal Nagar

Answer: Hello, Hello, We welcome you to icliniq family. I appreciate the confidence you place in me for your healthcare consultation. I can understand your concern. The very first question is, why do you want to give the pre-exposure anti-rabies vaccine? Do you have unvaccinated pet animals at home? If so...  Read Full »

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