Rabies vaccination and anti-rabies care

Emergency assistance after bites and scheduled rabies vaccination.

Rabies — is a deadly viral disease, but it can be prevented if actions are taken quickly. The medical network "Dobrobut" provides professional rabies vaccination, initial wound treatment, and consultations with doctors according to the latest global protocols and the standards of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

You can seek help, treat your wound, and undergo a vaccination course at our 24/7 emergency departments or at many outpatient clinics of the "Dobrobut" medical network in Kyiv and the Kyiv region.

What to do in the first minutes after a bite? (Emergency algorithm)

If you or your child is bitten, scratched, or salivated on by any mammal (especially if unfamiliar, stray, or wild), immediately follow these simple steps.

Critically important:

• What is considered a bite? Any contact, even minor, between your skin and a mammal's tooth is medically regarded as a bite and carries a risk of infection.
• Who transmits rabies? Only mammals (dogs, cats, foxes, rats, hedgehogs, etc.). Amphibians, birds, and reptiles do not suffer from rabies and cannot infect you. However, if you sustain injuries from these animals, you must not forget about the danger of wound infection — you may need emergency tetanus prophylaxis.
• Beware of bats! They pose a particular risk of rabies transmission. Any contact of bare skin with a bat (even if you are sure there was no bite) requires at least an urgent course of rabies vaccination.

Your actions:

1. Rinse the wound thoroughly! Rinse the bite, scratch, or salivation area under running water with soap for 15 minutes. This is the most crucial step: water and soap physically wash away and destroy the virus's envelope before it enters the nerves.
2. Disinfect. Dry the skin with a clean cloth and treat the edges of the wound with a disinfectant (water-based iodine solutions are best suited).
3. Immediately consult a doctor. Do not wait for symptoms to appear (once they appear, the disease becomes incurable). Go immediately to the nearest emergency department or clinic of "Dobrobut" for risk assessment and to initiate vaccination.

How does rabies vaccination take place at «Dobrobut»?

Emergency prophylaxis after a bite requires prompt action. Here, it is conducted comfortably, safely, and in accordance with WHO standards.

1. Initial examination by a doctor

The doctor assesses the condition of the wound, the circumstances of the bite (where it happened, which mammal it was) and determines the optimal vaccination scheme for you.

2. Course of rabies vaccination

The modern rabies vaccine (for instance, the certified preparation «Indirab») contains a killed virus. It «teaches» your body to recognize the threat and produce its own antibodies. Due to the long incubation period of rabies, the vaccine has time to protect the brain.

• Modern vaccination schedule: According to current instructions, the vaccination schedule consists of only 5 injections (on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28).
• Injection site: Exclusively intramuscularly into the deltoid muscle (in the shoulder) for adults, or into the anterolateral thigh for children. Injecting into the buttock is strictly prohibited!

3. Rabies immunoglobulin (Where to obtain it?)

In cases of particularly severe injuries (deep bites, bites to the face, neck, hands, contact with bats or wild predators), a patient, in addition to the vaccine, requires already prepared antibodies — rabies immunoglobulin. It works instantly, neutralizing the virus right in the wound.

Important information for patients: Currently, rabies immunoglobulin is not available in the clinics of the «Dobrobut» medical network. This preparation is centrally supplied by the state to designated healthcare institutions (HCI).

If during the examination our doctor determines that you urgently need immunoglobulin, you will receive first aid, have the wound treated, and the first vaccine administered. You can obtain immunoglobulin at state hospitals.

List of hospitals in Kyiv where rabies immunoglobulin is available:

For adults:

• KNP «Kyiv City Clinical Hospital No. 4» (Solom'yanska St., 17)
• KNP «Kyiv City Clinical Hospital No. 12» (Professor Pidvysotsky St., 4A)

For children:

• KNP «Kyiv City Children's Clinical Hospital No. 1» (Bohatyrska St., 30)
• KNP «Kyiv City Children's Clinical Hospital No. 2» (Alisher Navoi Ave, 3)

The complete and constantly updated list of facilities across Ukraine that are equipped with immunoglobulin can be viewed at this link.

Preventive vaccination (Before the bite)

Rabies can be prevented in advance! Planned vaccination (only 2 doses: on days 0 and 7) is recommended for:

• Veterinarians, foresters, hunters, shelter workers.
• Volunteers working with wild animals (including bats).
• Children and adults living in rural areas or areas with a high population of stray animals.

If you are bitten after such a preventive course, you will not need immunoglobulin under any circumstances, and further treatment will consist solely of 2 vaccine injections (on days 0 and 3).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Is it true that rabies vaccination requires 40 injections in the stomach?

No, that is an outdated myth! According to modern health standards, the full course of post-exposure prophylaxis for healthy individuals consists of just 5 painless injections in the shoulder (or in the thigh for children).

• Can I drink alcohol, engage in sports, and wet the injection site?

Yes, you can! There are no prohibitions on sports, water activities, or certain foods—this is a myth. There are also no strict medical bans on alcohol consumption due to interactions with how the rabies vaccine works. You can lead a normal lifestyle.

• Should I monitor the animal?

Yes, a known mammal should be monitored for 10 days. However, this should not delay the start of your vaccination! If after 10 days the veterinarian confirms that the dog or cat is healthy, you can simply stop the vaccination course (having received only 3 out of 5 shots). There is no need to search for stray animals—just complete the full course.

• What should I do if I get bitten again, but I have been vaccinated before?

You must definitely consult a doctor, but your course will be shorter. If you previously received at least 2 doses of the vaccine, you will only need 2 shots (on the day of the consultation and on the 3rd day). Immunoglobulin is not needed in this case at all.