Rabies Vaccination Shots

Rabies is caused by a virus transmitted through bites by animals who have already been infected. The disease causes inflammation of the brain and is extremely deadly. The rabies vaccine, created from an inactive rabies virus, is used to prevent future rabies infection and to prevent the disease from developing in humans and animals who have been exposed to the virus.

Statistics

• In the United States, rabies is an extremely rare disease in humans. It is always fatal, but there have been only 55 documented cases in the United States from1990 to 2009. In less developed parts of the world, however, rabies is more common. Throughout the world, an average of 55,000 people die from rabies every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Symptoms

• Victims usually do not experience symptoms for the first two to 12 weeks after contracting the rabies virus. After that time, known as the incubation period, patients begin to experience flu-like symptoms such has fever, headache and pain. As the disease progresses, patients develop more serious symptoms such as seizures and hallucinations. The disease eventually leads to coma and death. If the rabies vaccine is not administered to prevent the development of the disease within 48 hours of initial contact with the virus, rabies is always fatal.

Prevention

• Rabies vaccine is usually administered as a preventive measure for people who regularly come in contact with the disease. People especially at risk are those who work with or around animals and scientists who study and handle the disease. The CDC suggest that the preventive vaccine be given in three doses, spaced one week apart.

  Rabies vaccine can also be administered after someone has been bitten by a wild animal. If the victim was not previously vaccinated, the CDC suggests that the rabies vaccine be administered in four doses. If the patient has been vaccinated, the CDC suggests only two doses. The first dose of the vaccine should be administered no later than 48 hours after the initial contact.

Side Effects

• While side effects of the rabies vaccine are rare, a few people experience mild to moderate side effects. The most common reported to the CDC are headaches, pain, nausea and itching on or around the point of injection. More serious symptoms include fever, hives and joint pain.

Vaccines for Aminals

• Mammals are the only animals at risk for rabies. The procedure for animal vaccination is similar to the procedure for human vaccination. All mammals kept as pets should be vaccinated as soon as possible after birth. Animals should be continuously vaccinated throughout their lives to ensure immunization. If a pet that has previously been vaccinated is bitten by an animal infected with rabies, the pet should receive another dose of the vaccine immediately. If the pet has never been vaccinated, it may be required to be kept in isolation for six months.