Are rabies shots necessary?

[Bundooman]

On 5/10/2021 at 5:38 PM, Crossy said:

Read this and then decide https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/symptoms/index.html

 

 

With pets who don't mix outside the chances of them being infected are small, but ...

 

Personally I wouldn't hesitate, get the shots.

Specifically:

"However, dog rabies remains common in many countries. Exposure to rabid dogs is still the cause of nearly all human rabies deaths worldwide. Exposure to rabid dogs outside the US is the second leading cause of rabies deaths in Americans"

From crossy's Ref. above.

 

[LosLobo]

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

I thought i was ripped off at Pattaya City Hospital, 3,000 baht for the initial injection, then a lady told me Bangkok Pattaya charged her 11,000+ for the rabies injection

For a bite, rabies post-exposure prophylaxis four or five shots @500baht are required depending on regime.

 

Also a shot of rabies immunoglobin is required.

 

Human rabies immunoglobin is approx. 12,000 baht a shot but is scarce. Equine rabies immunoglobin is about 3,000 baht a shot.

 

Price of rabies immunoglobin is dependent on patient's weight.

[Gulfsailor]

24 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

For a bite, rabies post-exposure prophylaxis four or five shots @500baht are required depending on regime.

 

Also a shot of rabies immunoglobin is required.

 

Human rabies immunoglobin is approx. 12,000 baht a shot but is scarce. Equine rabies immunoglobin is about 3,000 baht a shot.

 

Price of rabies immunoglobin is dependent on patient's weight.

Are you sure about the immunoglobulin price? When I needed it two years ago, I asked around at 4 hospitals. The cheapest ERIG (equine) was 13,000, whereas the only hospital carrying HRIG (human) quoted 70,000 Baht. Obviously I opted for the equine version. A week later I got a rash and afterwards all kind of neurological rabies like symptoms apart from death. The leg the needle went in is still filled with many lumps under the skin now two years later. 
Advice to the OP; start the normal vaccinations early and there is no need for the immunoglobulin. If you do want to be super safe or are late with the vaccine, empty your wallet and opt for the human rabies immunoglobulin. The only reason I opted for the immunoglobulin was that I only started vaccinations a week after being bitten, finding out later that the area it happened was endemic with rabies (street dog at the border with Malaysia). 

[LosLobo]

25 minutes ago, Gulfsailor said:

Are you sure about the immunoglobulin price? When I needed it two years ago, I asked around at 4 hospitals. The cheapest ERIG (equine) was 13,000, whereas the only hospital carrying HRIG (human) quoted 70,000 Baht. Obviously I opted for the equine version. A week later I got a rash and afterwards all kind of neurological rabies like symptoms apart from death. The leg the needle went in is still filled with many lumps under the skin now two years later. 
Advice to the OP; start the normal vaccinations early and there is no need for the immunoglobulin. If you do want to be super safe or are late with the vaccine, empty your wallet and opt for the human rabies immunoglobulin. The only reason I opted for the immunoglobulin was that I only started vaccinations a week after being bitten, finding out later that the area it happened was endemic with rabies (street dog at the border with Malaysia). 

These are prices from 2014 :

10-MS-14-201427.pdf (mahidol.ac.th)

 

You only should forego the immunoglobin (HRIG or ERIG) shot with pre exposure vaccination not after a bite.

 

CDC - Medical Care: Human Rabies Immune Globulin - Rabies

Edited May 12, 2021 by LosLobo

[Gulfsailor]

1 minute ago, LosLobo said:

These are prices from 2014 :

10-MS-14-201427.pdf (mahidol.ac.th)

 

You only should forego the immunoglobin (HRIG or ERIG) shot with pre exposure vaccination not after a bite.

 

Yeah, I saw those prices. I guess the discrepancy is part due to those are cost price at the public hospital and part due to some years ago. The public hospital I went to to get my vaccinations refused to give me immunoglobulin, so I had no choice but to check at private hospitals. 

[LosLobo]

10 minutes ago, Gulfsailor said:

Yeah, I saw those prices. I guess the discrepancy is part due to those are cost price at the public hospital and part due to some years ago. The public hospital I went to to get my vaccinations refused to give me immunoglobulin, so I had no choice but to check at private hospitals. 

I don't know why public hospitals are reluctant to give immunoglobin.

 

Maybe availability and price.

 

If you were in Bangkok maybe should have tried the Red Cross or 

Thai Travel Clinic.com - The Special clinic for traveler's health in Thailand

Edited May 12, 2021 by LosLobo

[8OA8]

A couple of years ago I required the Rabies immunoglobulin shot, that's the expensive one,  and then the follow up shots, last one of which I delayed for 2 months because of a trip to UK and it being not so available over there, total cost was something close to ฿10,000

This article on Rabies in India should be helpful to anyone undecided on whether or not to go for the shots after being bitten

https://m.thewire.in/article/health/india-has-a-barking-rabies-problem-but-dont-blame-the-dogs-for-it

[Sticky Rice Balls]

Years ago I was drunk on sangsom and sitting on the curb eating satay with my then street dog friend-Lucky....I dropped a stick of meat and reached for it--as did Lucky--nipping my hands between thumb and finger "webbing"...tiny bite and tiny blood..was heading to KL on a visa run in a few days--went to Doc and she said is probably ok....BUT if she was wrong its game over...so I bit the bullet and got the shots--thick needle in my arm muscle..oh man.....and i had to go back for a few more--lastly was not cheap..but then peace of mind come at a cost I suppose......I still see Lucky--but no more satay for him!

Edited May 13, 2021 by Sticky Rice Balls

[samtab]

On 5/10/2021 at 7:45 PM, Sheryl said:

My personal opinion is: not  necessary if (1) you are sure the dogs are fully vaccinated and (2) you have full confidence in the Vet who provided the vaccine/quality of the vaccine, (3) the bites were not unprovoked and (4) the dogs in general are acting normally.

 

If you have any doubt on any of those points then better  get the shots.

 

Personally I have been bitten by vaccinated pets and not gotten other than tetanus shot and wound care. These were pets who had received rabies vaccine yearly for many years in a row from a very trusted source and the bites occurred in an understandable (from pet viewpoint) context.

So even a small bite from a stray dog can be dangerous and vaccination should be done ? 5 drops of blood only...

 

 

 

[internationalism]

a stray dog is different from a homed dog under constant care, with recorded vax.

Get the first shot, try to catch that stray dog, let the vet check his blood for rabies.

But probably cheaper would be full 5 shots, and you will be protected for future

Edited August 19, 2021 by internationalism

[Sheryl]

6 hours ago, samtab said:

So even a small bite from a stray dog can be dangerous and vaccination should be done ? 5 drops of blood only...

 

 

 

 

Certainly.

 

Amount of blood is irrelevant. The key issue is if the skin was at all broken. The rabies virus is contained in saliva and enters through broken skin.

[thaicookingchef]

On 5/12/2021 at 8:00 PM, LosLobo said:

These are prices from 2014 :

10-MS-14-201427.pdf (mahidol.ac.th)

 

You only should forego the immunoglobin (HRIG or ERIG) shot with pre exposure vaccination not after a bite.

 

CDC - Medical Care: Human Rabies Immune Globulin - Rabies

what about prices now ?

 

 

[Smithson]

9 hours ago, thaicookingchef said:

what about prices now ?

 

 

It's around B500 a shot