Hampstead Heath Pharmacy, Travel Health & Vaccination Clinic

3 days ago

Rabies in humans is 100% preventable through prompt appropriate medical care. Yet, more than 55,000 people, mostly in Africa and Asia, die from rabies every year – a rate of one person every ten minutes.

The most important global source of rabies in humans is from uncontrolled rabies in dogs. Children are often at greatest risk from rabies. They are more likely to be bitten by dogs, and are also more likely to be severely exposed through multiple bites in high-risk sites on the body. Severe exposures make it more difficult to prevent rabies unless access to good medical care is immediately available.

Rabies vaccination may be recommended before your trip if you are traveling to a country where there is an increased risk of rabies, especially if you may be more likely to come into contact with rabid dogs. You should also consider rabies vaccination if you will be spending a lot of time outdoors in rural areas or if you plan to handle animals.

Pre-exposure rabies vaccination:
1. Removes the need for the administration of Human Rabies Specific Immunoglobulin (HRIG) post-exposure.
2. Reduces the number of doses of vaccine given post-exposure.

Key in the risk assessment when deciding when to vaccinate is whether post exposure treatment, which is necessary following an animal bite, is readily available. Post exposure treatment in someone who has not been vaccinated entails immediate first aid, administration of HRIG followed by a course of four rabies vaccinations over 21 days. The HRIG and first dose of vaccine should ideally be started within 24 hours of the bite being inflicted. HRIG is known to be very difficult or impossible to obtain in many countries, so unvaccinated travellers who receive an animal bite may need to travel to another country or even come home for treatment.

Travellers are advised to avoid all unecessary contact with animals while abroad particularly in those countries where rabies exists. After the full course or pre-exposure rabies vaccine, a fully immunocompetent recipient should produce protective antibodies against rabies. Immediate first aid should be carried after any animal bite. In the event of an animal bite in a high or intermediate risk area, this should be followed up with two further doses of rabies vaccine on days 0 and 3, to be given as quickly as possible after the animal bite. HRIG is not needed.

For more info visit our website: hhpharmacy.co.uk/private-vaccinations/#1516379400660-1d47a390-6c14

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