What should you know about immunization for rabies?

Rabies is a serious infection that can reach the nervous system. Immunization trains the immune system to recognise the virus. Pre-exposure vaccination may be considered for people whose work or activities bring them near animals or places where rabies occurs. After a bite, scratch or saliva contact with broken skin, post-exposure care may involve wound cleaning, vaccine doses and, for some exposures, rabies immunoglobulin. Previous vaccination changes the post-exposure plan, so tell the clinician when and where you received it.

Wash the wound promptly with soap and running water, then seek urgent medical assessment even if the injury looks small. Do not wait for symptoms or rely on the animal appearing well. If safe, record what happened, the animal's type and location, and whether it can be observed by local authorities; do not try to catch it. A clinician will assess the contact, the skin break and vaccination history before recommending rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. More detail is available in Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis and Rabies Vaccination.

Seek urgent care immediately after any bite or scratch from a potentially infected mammal, or when saliva touches an open wound, the eyes or the mouth. Seek advice as soon as possible if the animal is unknown, unavailable, behaving unusually, or the exposure happened while travelling. Emergency symptoms such as confusion, trouble swallowing, severe agitation or weakness need immediate emergency help; do not wait for these symptoms before arranging preventive treatment.

Ask whether this contact counts as an exposure, whether you need vaccine or immunoglobulin, which dates your doses should follow, and what wound care or follow-up is needed. Mention pregnancy, immune conditions, medicines and any previous rabies vaccine.