taitai

All

I have been reviewing the list of vaccines suggested by the CDC for India. Fortunately, I have had many before due to travel in other parts of Asia and in Africa. One that caught is causing a bit of confusion is Rabies. I have never had that vaccine before and want to know what do others do? We will be in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. I don't mind the shots but I do want to be mindful of taking the vaccine away from others who might really need it as I know there is a shortage...at least in our area of the midwest.

Obviously, I will talk it over with my doc on Monday but curious to know what others' do.

Taitai

Kathie

This is a difficult one. There is a world-wide shortage of the rabies vaccine right now. Manufacturers are working to catch up.

India is the country with the highest rate of human rabies in the world. Once rabies symptoms develop, it is 100% fatal (For the sake of completeness, I must say there is one girl from Wisconsin who has survived, but her situation is unique).

The rabies vaccine is different from other vaccines. If you have the pre-exposure series, if you are bitten you do not need to get the immune globulin shot, though you do need further shots. You have more time to seek medical care if you've had the pre-exposure vaccine. If you have not had the pre-exposure series, you must have the immune globulin shot as well as several doses of the vaccine. The immune globulin is what people are most likely to have a serious reaction to - in third world countries the immune globulin is often not of human origin

Will you ever be more than 24 hours away from good medical care? If so, the vaccine is more important.

Will you be bicycling? Treking? If so, the vaccine would be more important.

Do discuss all of this with your doctor.

Also, I highly recommend that you have med evac insurance. We buy ours very inexpensively by the year.

Jaya

Taitai, from your earlier questions about India it doesn't sound like you will be roughing it (ie hiking, visiting slums/villages, sleeping in the open, etc.).

I have family members in India who are physicians and the rabies vaccine has never been recommended to me and they are not vaccinated either.

I put more effort into not getting mosquito bites!

I can't advise you to get it or not get it, hopefully your doctor will suggest appropriately to you and maybe other India experienced readers will chime in too.

ileen

Taitai: we have traveled many times to various parts of India and never got rabies shots. If you are just touring the cities and not really spending time with animals at a farm or in some wildlife outing, I dont think you need it.
But, you really must get the advice of your doctor.
None of the people I know who ahve traveled to India have used this vaccination. Good luck.

judyumcer

I work in a busy ER and we give plently of rabies shots. Mostly from cat bites. Doesn't seem to be any shortage of the vaccine. Do whatever you think is best for you.
Judy

garybear

If you are staying in the major metro areas and tourist sites, you probably do not need to worry about it. Just take precautions around animals. The bigger threat is not from dogs, but from monkeys around the temples, ruins, etc. Never carry fresh fruit or other fresh food in your backpack. The monkeys will not hesitate to launch a direct assualt on you to get it.

taitai

Thanks to everyone for your advice. A couple friends who have travelled to India have gotten the vaccine and several have not. My husband, who got all his vaccines at his business' travel clinic, did not but then he leads a very insular life when in India for work.

Will talk to my MD tomorrow and figure it all out. I appreciate everyone's advice.

Taitai

Kathie

The "I didn't get the vaccine and I'm still alive" reports aren't worth much. (Would you listen to "I didn't wear my seatbelt and I didn't get into an accident as a great reason not to wear a seatbelt?) You might want to read the reports here of various people getting bitten and the issues they were confronted with. There was someone recently who was bitten at Agra. Look for those threads which may give you a better idea.

While having a car and driver and staying at 5 star places insulate you some, it does not take away all of the risk. No question, you'll be at lesser risk than someone trekking or bicycling. But your greatest risk is in cities (dogs) or at temple areas with monkeys, not with farm animals or wildlife. Do discuss all of this - exactly where you are going, exactly how you'll be traveling with your doctor.

Judy, I'm not sure where you work as a nurse, but there is a shortage of the vaccine, and it's noted in the cdc pages. That said, someone who has just been bitten is a higher priority for the vaccine than someone who is getting ready to travel, so the shortage may not be impacting you as much.

Again, let me recommend med evac insurance to you. If I was in India, had not had the pre-exposure vaccine and got bitten by a stray animal, I'd want to get to Bangkok ASAP. Med Evac would get you there.

Contracting rabies is a low probability event. But since rabies is 100% fatal once symptoms develop, it's worth thinking about in India.

Frances

It was my daughter who was bitten in Agra during the summer. It was at the entrance to the Taj Mahal. She made the point that this is India's No 1 tourist attraction no matter how much you pay for your trip. She just happened to be there at the wrong time. The person behind her in the queue who presumably missed being bitten by a number of feet may well have been travelling five star.
It was my daughter's seventh visit to India and she has never been advised to have this jab to go there. Luckily she had been given it two years ago before a Gap Year.
Whereas the treatment in Asia was efficient and she had every confidence in it, the remaining injections when she returned home were very confused.
If you click on my name you should turn up the thread.
Can I finish by saying that as a result of her experience, I am going to have the course before our next trip to India at Christmas.

Dr_Ralph

Taitai,

India is a magical and mystical country. We love it. Unless you are planning on your husband biting you on the trip, this Doc wouldn't get the rabies shots.

Have a great trip and enjoy the wonders of India.