Rabies remains a public health problem in

the Philippines. Approximately 300 to 600

Filipinos die of rabies every year,” – DOH, 2018
What is rabies?
 Rabies is a serious disease. It is caused by
a virus.
 Rabies is mainly a disease of animals.
Humans get rabies when they are bitten
by infected animals.
 At first there might not be any
symptoms. But weeks, or even months
after a bite, rabies can cause pain,
fatigue, headaches, fever, and irritability.
These are followed by seizures,
hallucinations, and paralysis. Human
rabies is almost always fatal.
 Rabiesvaccine is an active immunizing agent
used to prevent infection caused by
the rabies virus.

 Thevaccine works by causing your body to

produce its own protection
(antibodies) against the rabies virus.
 RABIES VACCINE IS USED IN TWO
ways.
POST-EXPOSURE
PROPHYLAXIS
 Rabies vaccine is given
to persons who have
been exposed (e.g.,
by a bite, scratch, or
lick) to an animal that
is known, or thought,
to have rabies.
A person who is exposed and has never
been vaccinated against rabies should get 4
doses of rabies vaccine – one dose right
away, and additional doses on the 3rd, 7th,
and 14th days. They should also get another
shot called Rabies Immune Globulin at the
same time as the first dose.
 PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS
Rabies vaccine may also be given
ahead of time to persons who have a
high risk of getting infected with
rabies virus. These persons include
veterinarians, animal handlers, or
travelers who will spend more than 1
month in countries having a high rate
of rabies infection, and persons who
live, work, or take vacations in wild
areas of the country where they are
likely to come into contact with wild
animals.
 The pre-exposure schedule for rabies
vaccination is 3 doses, given at the
following times:
 Dose 1: As appropriate
 Dose 2: 7 days after Dose 1
 Dose 3: 21 days or 28 days after Dose 1
Vaccine types:

 HUMAN DIPLOID CELL VACCINE

(HDCV) Human diploid cell
vaccines (HDCVs) use inactivated
rabies viruses. HDCV comes in
two formulations: one for
intramuscular (IM) injection and
one for intradermal (ID) injection
into a deep layer of skin.
 PURIFIED CHICK EMBRYO CELL
VACCINE (PCEC) Purified chick
embryo cell (PCEC) vaccine
became available in the United
States in 1997. PCEC is made
from rabies virus grown in
cultures of chicken embryos and
then inactivated. The drug is
formulated for IM administration
only.
 RABIES VACCINE
ADSORBED (RVA) Rabies
vaccine adsorbed (RVA)
is manufactured from
virus grown in cell
cultures of fetal rhesus
monkey lung cells and
then inactivated.
 RABIES IMMUNE GLOBULIN (RIG) Human
rabies immune globulin (RIG, HRIG) is a
vaccine made from human serum that
contains high levels of antibodies against
rabies. It is used in conjunction with an
inactivated-rabies vaccine for post-
exposure prophylaxis. RIG provides
immediate but short-lived protection
against rabies. Approximately one-half of
the antibodies are lost within 21 days after
administration.
Precautions
 a weakened immune system due to HIV/AIDS or other
disease or condition
 cancer
 had a life-threatening reaction to a previous rabies
vaccine or to any component of the vaccine
Side effects
Mild side effects from rabies vaccines include:
 Soreness, redness, swelling, itching , or pain at
the site of the injection in 30–74 percent of
recipients
 Headache, nausea , abdominal pain, muscle
aches, or dizziness in 5–40 percent of recipients
More serious side effects of rabies vaccines include:
 Hives, joint pain, or fever in about 6 percent of those receiving a booster
vaccination
 very rarely, an illness resembling Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder of the
motor nerves that can result in temporary paralysis, lasting no longer than 12
weeks and resulting in complete recovery Other nervous system disorders
occur so rarely following rabies vaccination that they may not be related to
the vaccine. However, a physician should be consulted if a high fever or
behavioral changes occur following rabies vaccination.
How long is a human rabies vaccine good for?

A booster dose as often as every 6 months

to 2 years may be required for person at
highest risk for exposure to rabies virus,
such as persons who work with rabies virus
in research laboratories
or vaccine production facilities,
veterinarians and staff, and animal control
and wildlife officers.
Can a pregnant woman receive rabies vaccine
if exposed to rabies?

 Yes.A pregnant woman should receive

rabies vaccine if indicated. No fetal
abnormalities have been reported with the
rabies vaccine. A pregnant woman can
receive routine pre-exposure vaccination
against rabies if her risk of exposure is
high.