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.