Is this necessary? I went to a clinic for a bunch of vaccinations and the nurse went off on rabies in India and how it's important to be vaccinated.
Can someone please tell me if this is something that I need to worry about. She really made me nervous but I think she was just trying to sell me something I don't need.
Are rabies a problem in India? It seems expensive.....thanks for any imput!
Reply to this Yes and no. Funnily enough, I was enquiring about rabies at my local (Swedish) vaccination clinic myself before I went to Bhutan earlier this autumn. Since there are stray dogs everywhere and we'd be moving through some remote areas I figured it might be a good idea to look at vaccination. The nurse at my clinic didn't consider this enough reason for giving rabies shots, they pretty much only give it to people who have to live abroad in risk zones for a longer period of time. The basic preventive vaccinations are spread out over three expensive shots a few weeks between, giving you protection for about one year, but in case you are bitten you'd still need to take action to boost your protection. The alternative would be to take up to five shots after you've been bitten. The normal procedure after a dogbite is to monitor the animal, since any rabies-infected dog will get ill and most likely die shortly after having been infected.
Anyway, you can always consult another doctor at another clinic to get a second opinion. Perhaps the area you are travelling into is well known for rabies infection? Other than that, remember that most dogs won't give you any trouble although I'd recommend being more careful moving around after dark when the packs go out on the prowl in bark-a-thons in the empty streets. The same goes for moving around private properties that may be guarded by dogs. You should also consider the distance to nearby hospitals.
Reply to this I am wondering if local hospitals will have treatment available?
Reply to this Could be sketchy depending on where you're travelling to. Clean sanitizied needles (to administer the vaccine) can be few and far between depending what country you go to... and I think it might be difficult in India.
Though, having said that, the rule of thumb that many people told me was to stay away from all animals including dogs, stray dogs, cats, etc (despite how cute they may be).
If you want more guidance, do a google search on World Health Organization (WHO) travel advisories. This is where most doctors get their information from (and then charge you for the medical travel advice).
If you're in rural areas, like Johan mentioned, it might be a good idea. Otherwise, if you're in pretty urban areas with lots of people around, you might be ok (carry a few rocks with you maybe).
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