What should you know about anti-rabies injections?

Rabies is a serious infection that can spread through saliva from an infected mammal. Post-exposure care can include wound cleaning, rabies vaccine, and in some situations rabies immunoglobulin placed around the wound. The choice depends on the type of contact, the animal’s health and availability for observation, and whether you previously completed rabies vaccination. Do not wait for symptoms before seeking advice, because symptoms indicate a medical emergency.

Wash a bite or scratch promptly with running water and soap, if you can do so safely, and avoid irritating the wound. Seek urgent care even when the mark looks small. Tell the clinician when the exposure happened, where the animal is, whether its saliva touched broken skin or the eyes or mouth, and whether you have had rabies vaccination before. Do not handle or capture the animal yourself. Follow every scheduled dose in the plan and keep the wound under observation.

Seek urgent medical care after any possible exposure from a dog, cat, bat, fox, or other mammal, especially for a bite, bleeding scratch, facial wound, or saliva contact with broken skin. Go to emergency care for heavy bleeding, trouble breathing, faintness, rapidly worsening swelling, or an allergic reaction after an injection, such as facial swelling or wheezing.

Ask whether you need vaccine, rabies immunoglobulin, tetanus care, antibiotics, or a particular follow-up schedule. Confirm which symptoms should prompt immediate return and how to report information about the animal.