Is rabies vaccine needed if a dog jumped on a toddler?

Question

Hello doctor,

My baby is two years old. Recently, he came into contact with a pet dog. He started crying when the dog jumped on him.

My question is, since there is no deep scratch or visible wound on his body, is it safe or necessary to give him a rabies vaccine?

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

With my specialty being that of a pediatrician, I am well aware of your worries.

If all that happened to your child was the dog jumping up, and if there was no biting, no skin being broken, and no scratching that led to the breaking of the skin or abrasion, then rabies immunization is generally not needed.

The chance of rabies being transmitted happens if:

A rabid animal bites and breaks the skin.
The rabies virus present in the saliva of a possibly rabid animal enters an open wound or mucous membrane (mouth, eye, or nasal passage).

What I would recommend is for you to closely inspect your child’s skin, specifically the spot where the dog touched him.

Kindly tell me:

Is your child's skin intact, or is there some kind of scratch or abrasion present?
Was the dog a vaccinated household pet or a stray dog?
Is the dog healthy and available for observation over the next 10 days?
Was the saliva of the dog in direct contact with an open wound, eye, nose, or mouth?

In case there are any scratches that have made the skin broken even a little, or if there is any uncertainty about the skin being broken, I would suggest having your child checked by a doctor immediately to see if rabies PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is required.

In case there has been no break in the skin at all and there has been no scratch or bite, the need for the vaccine is nonexistent.

I hope I have answered your question.

Let me know if I can assist you further.

Thank you.