Rabies Vaccination Guidelines 2025

① There is a risk of infection only if the animal is scratched and bitten by an animal in the onset stage of rabies with bleeding, the mucous membrane comes into contact with saliva, or the broken skin is licked. There is no risk of infection if scratched and bitten by a domestic pet that has been fully vaccinated against rabies; ② The WHO and the 2025 version of the National Disease Control and Prevention "Rabies Exposure Prevention and Treatment Work Standards" clearly recognize the 10-day observation method, which is applicable to all domestic cats and dogs with clear vaccination records; ③ Severe non-head and facial exposure within 6 months after full vaccination does not require revaccination. Two revaccination shots are required between 6 and 12 months, three revaccination shots are recommended every 1 to 3 years, and full revaccination is recommended after 3 years. ④ The rabies vaccine is an inactivated vaccine, and there is no additional risk for pregnant women, infants, and immunocompromised people. The incidence of adverse reactions is no different from that of ordinary vaccines.

Last Wednesday I was working in the canine injury clinic, and I met a little girl in school uniform, holding her wrist and crying. When her sleeves were rolled up, there was a very shallow cat scratch mark, and there was no bleeding. I asked if it was scratched by the neighbor's ragdoll cat in the community. Cat She had just been vaccinated for half a year, and the owner was willing to cooperate with the observation. I sterilized her and sent her back without even prescribing the vaccine. Her mother was still worried about whether there would be an incubation period and whether she needed to take egg whites. She coaxed her for a long time before leaving.

When it comes to the 10-day observation method, some people will definitely say, "I went to the hospital before and the doctor said it can't be used." This is not actually a problem with the method, but with different applicable scenarios. Domestic grassroots doctors did not dare to recommend it in the past, mostly because they were afraid of being bitten by stray animals - you could not find where the animals were observed, and they would not be able to take responsibility if they were missed. But if your cat stays at home every day, never even leaving the house, and the last rabies vaccine was only given three months ago, and if you scratch you and you get 5 shots, you are really doing good work for the hospital. Of course, we must also make it clear that if it is an unowned stray animal, or you cannot find the animal that caught you, don’t hesitate, immediately go and vaccinate according to the procedure, and don’t bet on the one in 10,000 chance. I treated a 19-year-old boy last year. A barb on his hand was licked by a stray dog ​​at the entrance of an Internet cafe. He didn't take it seriously because he didn't think it was bleeding. It was a pity that he couldn't be saved when he got sick.

Oh, by the way, many people ask if they should be beaten if they are bitten by a hamster, rabbit, or chinchilla? The 2025 version of the specifications has clearly stated that rodents and lagomorphs rarely naturally carry rabies virus. If your little hamster at home bites you, just rinse it with soapy water for 15 minutes and it will be disinfected. There is no need to go to the hospital. Last time, a young couple had an argument. The girl bit the young man's arm and left two teeth marks. She insisted on getting a rabies vaccine, which made me laugh and cry. Unless the person biting you is a confirmed rabies patient, there is no need to consider the rabies vaccine when biting someone.

Many people cannot remember the time of re-vaccination. In fact, you don’t need to memorize it by rote. Just think: in the first 6 months after the full vaccination, the antibody concentration in your body is high enough. As long as you are not bitten by a wild dog with a big hole in your face, you can just scratch it and wash it off. Last month, I met a young man who had a puppy. He had just completed the three-month treatment. He had a small scratch when a dog broke into the house. He came to him anxiously for protein injection. I showed him the research data on antibody concentration and persuaded him for a long time before he left. If it is more than 6 months and less than 1 year, just 2 injections will be enough. From 1 to 3 years, 3 injections will be required. If it is more than 3 years, the whole process will need to be re-injected. There is no need to give 5 injections every time you are caught, which is expensive and painful.

There are still many pregnant women who are afraid of getting vaccinated after being caught by cats, for fear of affecting the fetus. I have tracked nearly 20 cases of vaccination during pregnancy in the past two years, plus the large sample data of more than 1,200 cases released by the CDC last year, and no teratogenic or developmental effects have been found. The rabies vaccine is an inactivated vaccine, which is safe for pregnant women and fetuses. If there is a real risk of exposure, don't bear it. The mortality rate of rabies infection is 100%, and the risk of side effects of the vaccine is not worth mentioning.

There will be another convenient change in 2025. Community health service centers in most cities now have online reservation channels for rabies vaccines. You can make an appointment by searching the local disease control official account without going to a big hospital. It is important to note that many communities do not have rabies immune globulin in stock. If the head and face are severely exposed, or the wound is particularly deep, it is better to go to the dog injury clinic of a second-level or above hospital first, so as not to miss out.

In fact, over the years of working as a dog injury clinic, I have seen the two most common types of people. One type is so scared that they can’t sleep after being scratched by their own cat, and they have to take an egg white to feel relieved. The other type is bitten by a stray dog and bleeds, but they feel fine and just wash their hands and leave. Both of these are unnecessary. If you really want to prevent rabies, you must first vaccinate your pets on time. This is more effective than vaccinating yourself ten times. After all, the virus cannot appear in your cat out of thin air, right? When you are really unsure, go to the outpatient clinic and ask the doctor. Most cases are not as serious as you think.