Overview
Rabies is a rare but serious infection that's usually caught from a bite or scratch of an infected animal. It's almost always fatal once symptoms appear, but vaccination and early treatment can prevent it.
Check if you're at risk of rabies
Rabies is found throughout the world, but it's very rare in the UK.
Although the risk of getting it while travelling is small, rabies is more common in parts of:
- Asia
- Africa
- Central and South America
Rabies is spread by mammals, such as dogs, bats, raccoons and foxes. In the UK, it's only found in some bats.
You can get rabies if:
- you're bitten or scratched by an infected animal
- an infected animal licks your eyes, nose or mouth, or you have a wound that's licked by an infected animal
Check your travel risk
You can get health advice for a country you're travelling to on the TravelHealthPro website
Get medical help immediately if:
- you've been bitten or scratched by an animal while you're abroad
- an animal has licked your eyes, nose or mouth, or licked a wound you have, while you're abroad
- you've been bitten or scratched by a bat in the UK
If you're abroad, get medical help as soon as possible. Do not wait until you get back to the UK.
If you're in the UK, ask for an urgent GP appointment, call NHS 111 Wales or get help from 111 Wales online.
Important
Rabies can be prevented if you get treatment quickly. It's important to get help even if you've been vaccinated.
How to reduce your risk of rabies
If you're travelling abroad, there are some things you can do to reduce your risk of getting rabies.
Do
- get advice from a travel health clinic at least 8 weeks before you travel – they may recommend getting vaccinated against rabies
- find out where you'll be able to get urgent medical help while abroad
- wash any animal bites or scratches with soap and water and get medical help immediately
Don’t
- do not touch or go near wild or stray animals, even if they do not seem unwell (animals with rabies may not have any symptoms)
- do not feed any animals, including in zoos or animal sanctuaries
Rabies vaccination
The rabies vaccine is recommended if you're travelling to a part of the world where rabies is more common, especially if:
- you're going somewhere where it may be hard to get medical help quickly
- you might come into contact with infected animals (for example, you'll be doing lots of outdoor activities like cycling or running)
- you're staying for over a month
Some people at risk of rabies through their work should also get vaccinated.
You have to pay for the rabies vaccine for travel. You can get it from travel health clinics and pharmacies with travel health services.
Treatment for possible rabies
If you've been bitten, scratched or licked by an animal that may have rabies, a doctor will check if you need treatment.
Treatment usually involves:
- 2 or more doses of the rabies vaccine
- a medicine called rabies immunoglobulin, a liquid given into the wound or by injection (this is only needed if you've not had the rabies vaccine before or have a weakened immune system)
If treated quickly, treatment is usually very effective at preventing rabies. Rabies cannot be treated if symptoms appear.
If you had treatment while abroad, contact your GP when you get back to the UK. They can check if you need any more treatment.
Symptoms of rabies
Symptoms of rabies usually take 3 to 12 weeks to appear, but they can appear after a few days or not for several months or years.
Symptoms include:
- numbness or tingling where you were bitten or scratched
- seeing things that are not there (hallucinations)
- feeling very anxious or energetic
- difficulty swallowing or breathing
- being unable to move (paralysis)
Once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal.
Prevention
The rabies vaccine helps protect you against rabies. It's recommended for people at higher risk of rabies from travel or through their work.
What the rabies vaccine is for
The rabies vaccine helps reduce your risk of getting rabies.
Rabies is:
- a rare but very serious infection that affects the brain and nerves
- almost always fatal once symptoms appear
- usually caught from the bite or scratch of an infected animal, most often a dog
- found throughout the world, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America (in the UK, it's only found in a small number of wild bats)
The rabies vaccine is used to help prevent rabies and to help stop you getting symptoms if there's a chance you've been exposed to rabies.
Who should have the rabies vaccine
The rabies vaccine is not routinely given as part of the NHS vaccination schedule.
It's only recommended for people at risk of getting rabies, including some people travelling abroad and people at risk through their work.
People travelling abroad
You should get the rabies vaccine if you're travelling to a part of the world where rabies is common, especially if:
- you're going somewhere where it may be hard to get medical help quickly
- you might come into contact with infected animals (for example, you'll be doing lots of outdoor activities like cycling or running)
- you're staying for over a month
Get advice from a travel clinic if you're not sure if you need the rabies vaccine for travel.
People at risk through their work
The rabies vaccine is recommended if you're at risk of getting rabies though your work, including:
- laboratory staff who work with the rabies virus
- staff working in animal quarantine facilities
- people who handle wild bats (including volunteers)
- vets and vet staff at risk of getting rabies
- people working with animals in parts of the world where rabies is common, such as wildlife workers
Speak to your employer if you're not sure if you need the rabies vaccine because of your work.
People exposed to rabies
The rabies vaccine can help stop you getting symptoms if there's a chance you've been exposed to rabies (for example, you've been bitten by a dog in a country where rabies is common).
Get medical help as soon as possible if you think you may have been exposed to rabies.
You should get help quickly even if you've been vaccinated before. You may need extra doses of the rabies vaccine.
Check your travel risk
You can check the risks of a country you're travelling to on the TravelHealthPro website
Who cannot have the rabies vaccine
Most people who need it can have the rabies vaccine, including babies and children, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding and people with a weakened immune system.
You only cannot have the vaccine if you've had a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to a previous dose or to an ingredient in the vaccine.
The rabies vaccine used in the UK contains egg protein. Tell the person vaccinating you if you have a severe egg allergy.
Getting vaccinated if you're unwell
If you have a high temperature or feel too unwell to do your normal activities, wait until you're feeling better before having the rabies vaccine.
Rabies vaccine ingredients
There is 1 type of rabies vaccine used in the UK. You can check the ingredients in the patient leaflet:
Rabipur rabies vaccine patient leaflet (Electronic Medicines Compendium website)
Where to get the rabies vaccine
You usually have to pay for the rabies vaccine for travel.
You can get it from:
- private travel vaccination clinics
- pharmacies with travel health services
- some GP surgeries (you still have to pay if the vaccine is for travel)
It's best to get advice at least 8 weeks before going abroad, as some vaccines (including the rabies vaccine) need to be given several weeks before you travel.
If you need the rabies vaccine because you're at risk through your work, speak to your employer about getting vaccinated.
If you do voluntary work that involves regularly handling wild bats, you may be able to get the rabies vaccine for free on the NHS. Check with your GP surgery.
How the rabies vaccine is given
The rabies vaccine is given as an injection. You usually have 3 doses given over 28 days.
If there's not enough time to have 3 doses in 28 days, they can be given over 21 days or sometimes over 7 days.
Booster doses
Most travellers do not need a booster dose of the rabies vaccine.
But a one-off booster dose may be recommended if you're travelling to a place where rabies is a risk and it's been more than 1 year since you were first vaccinated.
If you're at risk of rabies through your work, you may need a booster after 1 year, followed by regular boosters every few years.
Having the rabies vaccine at the same time as other vaccines
You can have the rabies vaccine at the same time as other vaccines.
How well the rabies vaccine works and how long it lasts
Around 95% of people who have 3 doses of the rabies vaccine will have some protection from rabies.
How long the protection lasts can vary, but it usually lasts at least 1 or 2 years.
People at continued risk of rabies may need 1 or more booster doses of the rabies vaccine to make sure they stay protected.
Important
The rabies vaccine does not fully protect everyone from rabies.
You should get medical help as soon as possible if you think you may have been exposed to rabies, even if you've been vaccinated.
Side effects of the rabies vaccine
Most of the side effects of the rabies vaccine are mild and do not last long.
They can include:
- swelling or pain where the injection was given
- a headache
- a high temperature
- being sick
- a raised, itchy rash (hives)
More serious side effects such as a severe allergic reaction are very rare.
The rabies vaccine used in the UK contains a killed (destroyed) version of the rabies virus, so there's no risk of getting rabies from the vaccine.