Babies, not Rabies.

March 11, 2009 2:28 PM

Urgent Rabies Vaccination: I'm worrying (nay, freaking out) about whether I should get a rabies vaccination. The course of the rabies vaccination is 21 days. I made the monumental error of youtubing rabies, and now I am freaking out.

I should be able to get it tomorrow locally for a costly fee (£100+), but that's IF i'm able to get an appointment and first shot tomorrow....with the final shot taken hours before I depart. I will be be going to Lima, Peru and the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Cuzco. In addition I will be in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Iguassu Falls, and Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

I've read the past mefi question on this, but would still like more personalised answers.

Is this shot really necessary for the things I will be doing (trekking etc)?

Is the post-exposure vaccination available at all the locations I will be at?

Is the vaccination really worth it? I understand that regardless, in case of exposure the vaccination will only buy me some more time and is not full proof...

Dogs are one thing, but how do you protect from bats in the night? I heard there's absolutely no marks on your body after being bitten. Am I screwd?

Prior to the inca trail, I will be in Lima for 3 weeks, should I/can I/how can I get my vaccination done there (I heard in some places you get it in your stomach!)?

posted by ashaw to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

I know dozens of people who have traveled to those very places in Peru, none of whom got vaccinated for rabies. There are plenty of other tropical diseases you want to watch for--hepatitis and meningitis are going to be important--but I've never heard rabies mentioned as a big risk.

Here's the CDC information on Peru. Rabies is on the list, but only if you're going to be spending a lot of time in rural areas doing things like hiking, cycling, camping, etc. I don't think "a few days" constitutes "a lot of time," but you may have different opinions on risk than I do.

Definitely get typhoid, hepatitis, and yellow fever vaccines, plus boosters for the normal list, but I wouldn't sweat the rabies if it's too much of a pain in the ass.
posted by valkyryn at 2:46 PM on March 11, 2009

Response by poster: I will be spending 8 days....does this qualify as "a lot of time"?

I've got my Hep A, typhoid, yellow fever done.
posted by ashaw at 2:55 PM on March 11, 2009

I wouldn't worry about rabies, there are plenty of other things that are much more likely.

I've had the after-exposure rabies shots. It wasn't that bad. I had to have 9 shots, one every other week. They don't get you in the stomach, just a large muscle group. I had them in my shoulders, back and thighs.
posted by sanka at 3:02 PM on March 11, 2009

Best answer: In my opinion the shot is not necessary. I can almost guarantee you won't be bitten by ANYTHING and Your odds of coming in contact with an infected creature are pretty monumental.

I am a zookeeper and have participated in studies with Fish and Wildlife Services on bats. I myself have been vaccinated as a requirement by my employer as I have worked with many common rabies vectors. (bats, raccoons, meerkats) ANY mammal can become infected with rabies.
Most animals that ARE infected with rabies do not go Cujo crazy and are not going to seek you out to attack you and infect you (as seen in the horrible movie Quarantine) If you see an animal acting strange - stay away from it. You should be fine. Dogs will be your greatest risk where ever you go. Bats not so much. (poor things have such a bad rap)

I would guess the more in the middle of nowhere you are the animals will be less likely to be infected. BUT you would be less likely to have proper medical care if you were infected.

The vaccine has some very serious if extremely rare risks.

I understand your fear but rabies is often misunderstood and over dramatized.

I will tell you that if you do decide to get it done it isn't just a poke in the arm and then that's over. My coworkers and I did not enjoy the experience of the prophylactic vaccine. it made our arms very sore with each injection. And after the second in the series of 3 we all had sideffects ranging from feeling a little worn out to feeling pretty sick and achy and feverish.

Hope this helps.
Have you looked at the CDC website page on Rabies? www.cdc.gov?

Hope you have fun on your trip. and either way don't let worrying about rabies ruin it!
if you have any more questions feel free to message me.
posted by fogonlittlecatfeet at 3:03 PM on March 11, 2009 [3 favorites]

I work for an NGO that send people abroad for months at a time, all over the world. Rabies is not among the things they are inoculated against.
posted by kimdog at 3:19 PM on March 11, 2009

My travel doctor does not recommend the rabies vaccination for adults. He recommends them for children, as they are more likely to get bitten by something and are less likely to tell anyone about it.

Your chances of getting infected are very low. Instead, I'd suggest purchasing medical evacuation insurance for the time you'll be abroad to cover you in the case of any emergency, not just this one.
posted by BusyBusyBusy at 3:45 PM on March 11, 2009

I've traveled to nearly 70 countries and all 7 continents and have been to most places you're going to if not once, twice or more.

You don't need rabies shots. (I'm saying this even though my uncle died of rabies, but he was a veterinarian in the Philippines and it happened 30 years ago.)
posted by HeyAllie at 3:56 PM on March 11, 2009 [1 favorite]

I did get a rabies inoculation of the type you mention at one stage - but that was because I was going to be handling bats directly in Tanzania. As you mention you need to get both stages of the preventative shots if they are going to be effective and there must be a gap between them (I guess that the vaccine that they give you is similar to that given to dogs - this is also two stages).

As others have said there is very little chances of you needing this - I think I might consider it if I was going to be cycle touring in an area with many rabid dogs - but even then it is probably not that important.
posted by rongorongo at 4:44 PM on March 11, 2009

I was vaccinated post-exposure (bat flew in window and around room while I was asleep, woken by cat chasing it in the dark -- fun!). I'm fine now, really.

One of the issues right now is a global shortage of vaccine. As a result prophylactic (preventative) vaccination is generally done on a hierarchy of need basis. Whereas in the past post-exposure vaccine was given out freely, now it is not enough to simply have possible exposure.

I would say that simply traveling to a country where there is still a reservoir of rabies in the wild -- which is most of the world (unlike the UK) -- is not a real risk. Most people in the US don't need rabies shots and we still have it in the wild with no realistic potential for eradication any time soon. Even here 97% of bats, the largest remaining cause of exposure to humans, are rabies-free. It's not a disease that animals carry in the asymptomatic sense.
posted by dhartung at 6:58 PM on March 11, 2009

My partner and I had the prophylactic vaccine before a year-long trip (though the main reason was the remoteness of our work in Rwanda and especially our trekking in Nepal). We tolerated the shots very well, but except for the period when we were more than a weeks' walk from a clinic we didn't really feel we needed to make the effort. If you're afraid of being bitten, the shot won't protect you, and you still would need shots after. If you're afraid of being able to get to a doctor when you need one, then it might buy you some peace of mind. While I haven't been to Machu Pichu, don't you have the chance of a fairly quick hike out?
posted by Mngo at 7:32 PM on March 11, 2009

My coworker's visiting a couple of exotic locales later this month and her doctor pretty much told her that the rabies vaccine wasn't necessary...

...and to stay away from monkeys and feral dogs, just in case. Your mileage may vary.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 11:19 PM on March 11, 2009