Tomorrow, September 28, is World Rabies Day. That means that the international medical community wants to spend the day raising awareness about this fatal disease, which can be contracted if you are bitten by an infected animal. In order to help you best enjoy your own pets as well as stay safe from animals in your community, Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) offers both pre- and post-exposure vaccinations. Read on to learn more!
We are using rabies vaccine manufactured by Liaoning ChengDa Institute of Biological Products. Since 2009, they have produced over 300 million doses of rabies vaccine, and are currently exporting to 32 countries. Each batch of vaccine is under strict inspection to check for efficacy and manufacturing standards adherence.
Rabipur is a very effective vaccine that can be used for pre-exposure prophylaxis as well as prevention of rabies after being bitten by animals.
For pre-exposure prophylaxis, a total of three doses are delivered by intramuscular injection on days 0, 7, and 21 (or 28). A booster dose is generally not needed unless you work closely with animals. If you are bitten or scratched by a potentially unvaccinated animal, you still need medical attention. This is very important. The wound needs to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and two further doses of the vaccine are needed. These extra vaccine doses cause a rapid immuneresponse to occur and result in the body rapidly dealing with any rabies virus that has been deposited in the wound. In this situation, you do not need rabiesimmunoglobulin (RIG).
Why should you get the pre-exposure vaccine? There are two reasons. First, the post-exposure treatment is difficult to obtain, costly, and painful. Second, some people, especially children, may not recognize or report minor exposure to rabies. Post-exposure treatment requires not just repeated doses of the vaccine, but also infiltration around the wound with RIG. This is not reliably available in China and is very, very expensive. People who have had the pre-exposure vaccine do not require RIG, only two doses of the rabies vaccine.
Beijing United Family Hospital is a licensed rabies clinic authorized by the Beijing Health Bureau. We have professional products and equipment. Vaccines are strictly stored in medical refrigerators with 24hr supervised temperature control. The doctors and nurses in our rabies clinic are well-trained and can offer professional and patient-centered care to our community.Please make an appointment with a Family Medicine physician or Pediatrician for a medical assessment before you are vaccinated. The vaccination fee is RMB 58 per shot (excluding the consultation fee and RMB 25 injection fee). To schedule your initial consultation, please call the BJU Service Centerat 4008-919191.
- Do you know how to call an ambulance in case of an emergency? Brush up here.