Why is rabies shots painful

The rabies vaccine works extremely well to prevent rabies but has a fairly high rate of side effects such as sore arm, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. The vaccine is also rarely a cause of the severe allergic reaction, anaphylaxis.

No one has ever died from the current rabies vaccine. On the other hand, once symptoms have begun, rabies is a uniformly fatal disease.

So the benefits of the rabies vaccine clearly outweigh the risks of the vaccine. Rabies vaccines in Vaccines, 7th Edition, , Materials in this section are updated as new information and vaccines become available. The Vaccine Education Center staff regularly reviews materials for accuracy. You should not consider the information in this site to be specific, professional medical advice for your personal health or for your family's personal health.

You should not use it to replace any relationship with a physician or other qualified healthcare professional. For medical concerns, including decisions about vaccinations, medications and other treatments, you should always consult your physician or, in serious cases, seek immediate assistance from emergency personnel.

Contact Us Online. Once someone has been exposed, their dosing will vary depending upon their vaccination history: For those who have been exposed to rabies without previous vaccination, the vaccine is given shortly after exposure to prevent the progressive, invariably fatal disease, rabies. In these situations, a total of four shots are given in the shoulder muscle.

The first shot is given immediately after exposure to a rabid animal, then again three days later, seven days later, and 14 days later. The person should also receive another shot called rabies immune globulin RIG.

For those who have been exposed to rabies, but who were previously vaccinated with rabies vaccine, two shots should be given in the shoulder muscle. The first shot should be given immediately after exposure. A second shot should be given three days later. These people do not need to get RIG. The face of rabies Edgar Allen Poe died from rabies, which has terrified mankind ever since it became obvious that the bite of a rabid animal led to an inevitable and horrible death.

The disease What is rabies? How do you catch rabies? But generally, in the United States, the following guidelines can serve as a good rule of thumb: Rabies vaccine is not needed: If the animal for example, dog or cat lives in or has been hanging around the neighborhood, it can be observed for 10 days to see if it behaves normally.

If, after 10 days, the animal does not show any signs of rabies, then no treatment is needed. Also, animals immunized with the rabies vaccine are unlikely to transmit rabies — all the more reason to make sure that your animals are immunized with rabies vaccine. Rabies vaccine is needed: If no one knows the animal and it cannot be observed, or in countries where rabid animals are prevalent, treatment should begin immediately.

If an animal bites you, seek medical attention for the wound. Also tell the doctor about the circumstances of your injury. The doctor will ask:. Wash your wound gently and thoroughly with soap and generous amounts of water. This may help wash away the virus. If the animal that bit you can be contained or captured without causing more injury, do so.

Do not kill the animal with a blow or a shot to the head, as the resulting injuries may make it difficult to perform laboratory tests to determine whether the animal has rabies.

Tell your doctor that you have captured the animal that bit you. Your doctor may then contact the local health department to determine what to do with the animal. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.

Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Diagnosis At the time a potentially rabid animal bites you, there's no way to know whether the animal has transmitted the rabies virus to you. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

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