Latest Rabies Vaccination Guidelines 2024

The first vaccination for secondary exposure no longer routinely requires the injection of rabies immune globulin. Non-severe exposures within six months after full vaccination do not require revaccination. Domestic animals with clear ownership and which have been vaccinated with veterinary rabies vaccine within six months cause an accident. The 10-day observation method can be applied to evaluate whether the vaccination needs to be suspended.

Last week, my colleague went downstairs to get ice cream. She was scratched by the free-range British dachshund next to the unit door. There was only a light red mark, but there was no bleeding. If she went to the community hospital last year, the doctor would most likely advise her that "there is a risk of skin rupture, so it is best to take immunoglobulin." This time The doctor only prescribed a 5-injection vaccine, and told her that if the cat was still alive and kicking after 10 days, the fourth and fifth injections would be unnecessary. It cost more than 300, which was a saving of 1,000 less than before. This is the most intuitive change after the adjustment of the 2024 version of the vaccination guide.

The most frequently asked question is definitely: Is the legendary 10-day observation method really applicable in China? In fact, this has been controversial in the industry, and there is no absolute standard answer. On one side are conservatives in grassroots disease control. They feel that the rate of virus transmission in stray animals in my country is much higher than in European and American countries. They do not recommend that everyone wait for 10 days before vaccination, especially if the offending animal cannot be found. It is more secure to "vaccinate first and then observe". After all, the mortality rate of rabies is 100%, and no one dares to give you a guarantee. On the other side are the researchers in the clinical field of infectious diseases, who believe that as long as the offending animal can be clearly found and the owner can provide advice, The certificate of veterinary rabies vaccination within six months can be disinfected and observed first. If the animal has not drooled, increased aggression, died or other abnormalities within 10 days, it is not even necessary to give the first injection. Both statements are supported by official data. How you choose depends entirely on you - if you have poor psychological quality and can think of the scratch every day when you lie down, which scares you from insomnia, then just go for the vaccination. It is not wrong to spend a few hundred yuan to buy peace of mind.

In fact, you don’t need to rotely memorize the standards for Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 exposure. You can judge by touching the wound twice: If the skin is intact and there is no red mark after rubbing, rinse it with soapy water for two minutes, and then do what you need to do; if there are red marks, or the skin is broken but does not bleed, it is classified as Level 2 exposure, and you need to get rid of it. Vaccines are enough. Unless you are an AIDS patient, someone who has been taking immunosuppressants for a long time, or the bite is on the head, face, and neck close to the central nervous system, you need additional immunoglobulin. If you see blood or have a deep tooth puncture, then just get the vaccine and immunoglobulin. Don’t save money.

Two months ago, a fan who owned a Corgi came to me and said that she had just completed the full course of rabies vaccination in December last year. This month, she was bitten by her Corgi while playing with it, which caused some blood. She was so frightened that she had to go to the hospital overnight. I helped her ask a familiar disease control worker. The staff said that as long as your dog gets the veterinary rabies vaccine on time every year, and you yourself are disinfected with povidone iodine during the six-month protection period, you don’t even need to refill the vaccine. She was still dubious. Later, she went to the hospital and asked if this was indeed the rule, and she was relieved.

There is also a misunderstanding that has been circulating for many years that needs to be corrected: many people are bitten by hamsters and scratched by rabbits, and they rush to get rabies vaccinations. The 2024 version of the guide clearly mentions that rodents and lagomorphs rarely carry rabies virus, unless it is a hamster that has been bitten by a crazy animal in a rabies-endemic area. This probability is lower than picking up 100,000 yuan on your way to get off work. There is no need to mess around. Nowadays, you don’t have to choose the traditional 5-injection method for vaccination. There is also the “2-1-1” procedure, which means one injection in each arm on day 0, one injection in each arm on days 7 and 21, and a total of 3 times. There is no difference in the protective effect between the two procedures. If you find it troublesome, you can choose the latter directly.

Oh, by the way, if you are bitten by an ownerless stray dog or cat, don’t bet on the 10-day observation method. You won’t even be able to find where the animal has gone. Just observe it and go to the nearest community health service center for treatment. This is the safest way. Now the annual number of rabies cases in our country has dropped to three digits. More than 90% of the cases are bites by unowned stray dogs that are not dealt with in time. Don’t panic too much, and don’t take it too seriously. It’s really uncertain. Many cities’ disease control and prevention departments have now opened online consultation channels. Take a photo of the wound and explain the situation of the offending animal. You can get an accurate answer in a few minutes, saving you a wasted trip.