What should you know about non-neural vaccines for rabies?

Non-neural refers to the way the rabies vaccine is produced. Modern rabies vaccines use virus grown in suitable cell cultures rather than tissue from the nervous system. The vaccine cannot cause rabies because it uses inactivated virus.

Rabies can affect the nervous system after infected saliva enters broken skin or mucous membranes. A bite is not the only possible exposure; scratches contaminated with saliva and saliva contacting the eyes, mouth, or an open wound can also require assessment.

Wash the wound promptly with soap and running water, avoid sealing it before medical advice, and seek urgent assessment. A clinician will consider the animal, the type and location of contact, local risk, previous vaccination, and whether vaccine or additional treatment is needed.

Do not wait for symptoms before seeking advice. Keep details about the animal and exposure if this can be done safely, but do not delay care while trying to locate the animal.

Seek urgent medical care after any potentially risky bite, scratch, or saliva contact with broken skin or mucous membranes. Go immediately for a wound to the face, head, neck, or hand, multiple wounds, or contact with a stray or unavailable animal.

Ask whether the exposure needs post-exposure prophylaxis, which vaccine schedule applies, whether wound treatment or rabies immunoglobulin is indicated, and where follow-up doses should be recorded.