Originally Posted by
ShacklerViking
Anybody think i need rabies vaccine for touring Canada, Chile and Argentina for 6 months with tent?
Does it exist any medical drugs to delay the infection if you are bitten by a rabies infected animal?
My fear if i am in rural areas and there is a long way to get to the doctor. Because they say you have only 24hour to find a qualified doctor if you are bitten.
There are an estimated 55,000 human deaths annually from rabies worldwide, with about 31,000 in Asia, and 24,000 in Africa. (Wikipedia)
That means the chances is zero to get rabies as long you are not touring Asia and Africa?
The vaccine is expensive, the program is 3 vaccines over a certain period.
I got my rabies vaccine series before my world tour. Go to a clinic which specializes in traveler medical care, give them a lost of your countries visited and
tell them you will be doing it by bicycle, and then follow their advice.
When I got the shots, I was told they have the following advantages:
(1) without the shots, the series of rabies injections is longer and more painful. (you still must get treated, though, if you are bitten, even with the advance shots.)
(2) if you get the shots, the need to get urgent medical attention is less urgent...you have a few days breathing room after a bite; in contrast without the shots you need to be treated a.s.a.p. if not sooner.
(3) Don't trust government reports, especially LOCAL GOVERNMENT reports, that they have 'no rabies' or 'very few rabies' cases, in 3rd world countries. Rabies is bad for publicity, tourism, and image, and thats all these places care about. Thats like the folks in India saying they don't have leprosy, when ya can see (?) (not see?) missing fingers and noses all over the damn place.
roughstuff