OP said
What do you think will have changed?
“Doctor, I asked on the SDMB.” “Oh, well, in that case, have an injection.”
Isilder seemed to be making the point that there is something about a rabid animal’s bite that would be so obvious to the person getting bit that a question in GQ like this wouldn’t be needed. My post was pointing out an incident where it wasn’t obvious to the people involved that the bite that just happened came from a rabid animal.
…
There have been many cases of rabies where the afflicted did not report getting bitten by anything. I read too much.
As for the travel clinic, as I understand it, all I have to do is tell them I’m going into some wilderness area or overseas where rabies is common, and they’ll give me the shots. I’d have to pay for them out of pocket, of course. I don’t think they give you the third degree about it. If the shots are the same as the post-exposure ones, perhaps it would be worth a little peace of mind.
The thing is, I didn’t. I know what I did, I know where I was, and it wasn’t a place with a lot of branches or thorny shrubs. I didn’t go hiking in the woods, I was just there to sleep and use the facilities in an otherwise very expensive tourist area.
Does anyone know why they give you three shots of vaccine? Is one shot better than none, or is it an all-three-or-nothing scenario? I sent a note to my regular doctor asking her point blank if I can get the vaccine (I saw someone else yesterday).
Because they want you to get boosters and make sure you mount a strong immune response.
The deal with the post-exposure is that it includes more shots of the vaccine and another shot of immunoglobulin. The immunoglobulin is active and ready to start blocking the rabies virus while your body makes its own defenses (including immunoglobulins).
People who have been given pre-exposure vaccines still have to be treated, they just get less shots than others, and certainly no immunoglobulin (as it is expected they already have some floating around from their vaccination).
Again, considering this product was in shortage not too long ago, there may be restrictions to its use still in some areas, and even the travel clinic may not be able to just dispense it to you, even if you pay them.
Lastly, IF it is the case that they determine you are at risk, the immunoglobulin is important, as it start working right away while your body is mounting the defense with the vaccine. And the vaccination course itself last months (vaccine boostes are spaced out).
Double check or consult with another doctor, but in most places, rabies vaccine and treatment is not something they hand out easily.
So why the change from the old style [was it 22 painful shots into the stomach?] and the current described here of 3 shots?
Technology got better and treatment was fine-tuned would be my better guess.
Three shots is the pre-exposure routine vaccination in the US. Post-exposure treatment includes more shots (including the immunoglobulin), but not as many as 22. Post-exposure also differs if the person was vaccinated or not against rabies.
Fine tuning treatment for rabies exposure is a bit tricky, because the outcome if it is not treated correctly is very bad.
Why a bat?
Why not a Rat is the campground outhouse?
I was under the impression that the OP and is/her physician did not discuss an animal bite.
I had the vaccine some fifteen years ago after an altercation with a raccoon and my cats. Some ten years later I was bitten by a neighbor’s dog fleeing a storm, and was still immune upon my physician testing me. 
I would have noticed a rat. Rats are massive. Teeth are bigger. Love your screen name.
I convinced my primary doctor to get me treatment. I called an epidemiologist at the public health hotline for Wisconsin and he said my concerns were valid, and told me he himself was vaccinated for a similar incident. I gave my primary doctor his number, and I think she called him because shortly thereafter she made arrangements with the pharmacist at the ER to make sure they had enough of the stuff I need. There is indeed a lack of this medication, although I read that up to 39,000 people a year get the shots. The ER physician also thought the spacing of the marks were suspicious. (how likely is it that the marks from a branch would be two small round punctures exactly 1 cm apart?) Well I’m relieved even though the treatment started 3 days too late.
6 shots in my leg, then one in each shoulder.
I only read the OP.
I woke up in my bedroom a couple of years ago and a bat was flying around. I came to The Dope with a similar question and several people urged me to just go get the rabies shots, which I did. The consequences of being wrong are too great to risk. By the time you have symptoms, you are a dead person.
The guy who came to spray my yard for fleas told me about a park ranger in Texas who came upon a dead mountain lion and handled the carcass without gloves. Turns out the dead animal was rabid and the guy died. My bug guy said he has handled dead animal carcasses without gloves for 40 years. Not any more.
To repeat: the consequences of being wrong are too great to risk.
Go to the CDC website and you’ll see that their recommended protocol is to get the shots of there is ANY chance you might have been exposed.
I am glad that you consulted again with another doctor or public health officer. The shots you got are obviously way more than the pre-exposure vaccine, and more than what the travel clinic could have offered you.
Goodness, after my possible exposure, I had a series of four shots… I think they were all in my arm. I guess one might have been in my butt. It’ just not worth taking a chance and HOPING you weren’t exposed.
Makes me glad that the Navy has given me the rabies vaccinations and kept me up to date [I was working with my sheep and dealing with the feral dog population and the local dog warden recommended I get the shots]
Though if you think about it, the Mil<however it is spelled> protocols do make sense - support until the body develops antibodies and the induced coma so the patient doesn’t have to deal with the pain and terror of the reaction to rabies itself. Would dialysis or actual blood replacement work to remove active virus from the body?
Rabies is not spread by contact. Yeesh.
Rabies virus is not in the blood, but in the nerves, so blood transfusion will not be a good treatment and won’t remove the virus.
Rabies is not spread by contact, but if the handling involve dealing with nervous tissue (spinal cord, brain), and if the person got a nick or cut while handling it (especially without gloves), then yes, it would have been exposed. Another option is that it was aerosolized, if the ranger used a bandsaw to cut the brain/spinal cord (sending infected particles of infected brain and spinal cord matter up his nose, a nerve receptor-rich area).
I knew someone would question this. Sheesh yourself. Apparently the ranger had an open cut on his hand and came in contact with the animal’s blood or other bodily fluids.
I forgot to put this in my post and missed the edit window. It’s okay because my officemate owes me $5.
Yup. I wish the edit window was a minute or two longer.
Sure hope a person would use gloves and goggles for that. Maybe a face mask. Maybe not. :shrug: