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Rabies Shot - Is it necessary???
We are on the trip departing October 2nd. We are getting conflicting information as to vaccines. Is a rabies shot necessary?
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We are on the trip departing October 2nd. We are getting conflicting information as to vaccines. Is a rabies shot necessary?
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We will be on your tour. No, we did not get a rabies shot. We visited a travel clinic and got an updated typhoid shot, a malaria Rx, and a "just in case" antibiotic. For a previous trip to Africa, we got Yellow Fever and hepatitis vaccinations (they were still good). And this week, we got the updated COVID and flu vaccinations. Hope this helps.
Thank you! Great information. We look forward to meeting y'all.
No you do not need Rabies shots, but do keep away from any animals you encounter including cats and dogs however cute they may be. This should be common sense and yet on one trip to Zanzibar with Tauck a stray dog ran onto the beach near our group and several people were petting it. On another trip to Namibia, a woman in our group started feeding a cat that came near as we were eating outside. I told her not to, a bad idea, she just laughed. When she stopped, it bit her and out of my mouth came…served you right…..Yes the poor TD had to run around to sort her out with a dressing etc. I wonder what happened to her, did she get rabies? It can often not appear for weeks.
Even if you had the rabies shot prior to departure, if you have a rabies encounter on tour, you will then need to undergo a full treatment protocol. What the predeparture shot will do is give you a bit more time to start the treatment regimen, which may be a comfort to you if traveling in areas where medical care is not as easily accessible. Ultimately you should address this with your medical providers.