Who should consider the rabies vaccine before travelling?
Rabies is rare in travellers but, once symptoms appear, it is almost always fatal — which is exactly why the pre-travel conversation is about sensible precaution for the right trips, not something every holiday needs. Pre-travel doses matter most when medical help could be hours away or hard to reach, and when your trip raises the chance of contact with animals. It is worth discussing at South London Clinic if you are travelling somewhere remote or rural, staying for a long time or travelling repeatedly, cycling, running, trekking or caving, working with or around animals, or travelling with young children — who may not report a lick or a small scratch. If none of that applies to your trip, your pharmacist will tell you so honestly.
Where rabies is a risk
Rabies is carried by dogs, bats, monkeys and other mammals, and is present across much of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Dogs are the most common source for travellers, but bats count everywhere, and in some regions the macaques around temples and tourist sites are a real consideration. High-risk destinations tend to combine widespread animal rabies with limited access to urgent treatment. Your pharmacist will look at exactly where you are going and match it against the current TravelHealthPro country advice, rather than assuming from the country name alone.
How the pre-travel course works
Pre-travel protection is given as a course of doses over a short period. Because the schedule runs over a few weeks, rabies is one of the vaccines to start early — leaving it late can mean there is simply not enough time to complete the course before you fly. Your pharmacist will work back from your departure date at the consultation, confirm the current schedule, and tell you whether you can realistically complete it in time. We do not quote medicine prices online; costs are confirmed at your appointment.
Bitten, scratched or licked abroad? What to do
This is the part that matters most, and it is true whether or not you had pre-travel doses. Any bite, scratch or lick from a mammal abroad should be washed thoroughly with soap and running water for at least fifteen minutes, and then seen by a medical professional urgently, wherever you are. Pre-travel doses do not remove the need for treatment after a possible exposure — but they buy you valuable time, usually mean fewer injections afterwards, and remove the need for one treatment that can be very hard to find in parts of the world. Never wait until you are home to get a possible exposure looked at.
What to expect from the vaccine
Most people have no more than a sore arm for a day or two. Some get a headache, tiredness or feel a little off-colour for a short time. Serious reactions are rare. Because the course runs over several weeks, the practical thing to plan for is the timing rather than the after-effects — your pharmacist will go through the full patient information with you and answer anything specific to your health before you decide.
Timing and boosters
Book as early as you reasonably can, given the multi-week schedule. Whether you need a booster later is judged by your continued risk — it is often reviewed after a year, then at longer intervals for people who keep travelling to higher-risk places or who work with animals. If you have had a course in the past, bring the dates, as it changes what you need now.
Rabies and travel: common questions
Do I really need the rabies vaccine? Only for the right trips. It is about where you are going, how long for and what you will be doing — remote travel and animal contact raise it, a short resort break usually does not. Your pharmacist will give you a straight answer.
If I am vaccinated, am I safe after a bite? No — you still need urgent medical care after any bite, scratch or lick. Pre-travel doses make the treatment simpler and buy time; they are not a substitute for it.
How long does the course take? It runs over about three to four weeks, which is why it is worth starting early.
How far ahead should I book? As early as you can once your trip is planned, so there is time to complete the course before you travel.
Booking a rabies travel appointment at South London Clinic
At South London Clinic in South London we go through your trip and your history, explain the schedule and exactly what to do if you are ever exposed, and give you a clear written plan. Book a travel appointment online, or call the team on 020 75826344.
