Can rabies still occur after taking the vaccination?

Question

Hi doctor,

My dog, while shaking her head, splashed some water drops into my right eye. So, the very next day, I went to the hospital and consulted with the doctor directly. He suggested that I do not need any anti-rabies vaccine. After his suggestion, I consulted with a doctor online, who also said that I am free from rabies. This was my second exposure. I am having depression because of the fear of rabies, so I decided to take the vaccine and got two boosters. I get fear whenever I have throat pain or tightness, cough, nausea, and vomiting. Please give me a clear vision of this. I have been suffering from nausea even from food smells. Please help.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

It is distressing, especially when you have gone through multiple exposures and doctor visits and still feel anxious. Let me reassure you clearly and medically.

You mentioned that a water droplet from your dog’s head splashed into your eye. This kind of indirect exposure is not considered a risk for rabies transmission by medical standards. Rabies is transmitted only through the saliva or nervous tissue of an infected animal, and only through bites, scratches, or direct contact with broken skin or mucous membranes (like eyes) with infected saliva. Splashing water, even from a dog’s fur, does not contain the rabies virus unless it is visibly contaminated with saliva from a rabid animal, which is very unlikely in your case.

You are fully vaccinated against rabies. Then you took two booster doses. This means you have a strong immune memory. According to the WHO and CDC, someone who has completed post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) or pre-exposure vaccination (PrEP) and gets exposed again only needs two booster doses (as you took). After these boosters, no further treatment or tests are required unless a new high-risk exposure occurs.

Anxiety can cause physical symptoms like nausea, throat tightness, vomiting, and cough. Fear of rabies often causes people to become hyper-aware of every small body change. Nausea with food smells, especially with ongoing anxiety, is likely a psychosomatic symptom, not rabies. Rabies symptoms do not come and go. If you had rabies, you would be severely ill and deteriorating rapidly, but you are not.

You do not have rabies. You were already vaccinated and boosted appropriately. You are well beyond the incubation period, and the symptoms you describe are not consistent with rabies. Rabies cannot survive this long unnoticed, especially after such mild exposure and full vaccination. You have done everything right, and now it is time to let your mind and body heal from the anxiety.

I hope this information will help you.

Thanks.