In my travel plans to north India I have low risk profile for rabies an do not plan to get a "pre-exposure" vaccine. However, in case I do get bitten, is the rabies vaccine available in India?
2 Answers
It is available in India, and in Delhi in the North, but the supply may not be reliable. As the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes:
India has the highest burden of rabies in the world, with estimates of 15,000–20,000 human cases per year. Dogs roam in packs in many areas of the country. Unfortunately, human rabies immune globulin is not readily available, except in some clinics in major cities. Information about such clinics can be obtained from the website of the International Society of Travel Medicine. Otherwise, if a traveler has not received preexposure rabies vaccination, a bite may result in having to leave the country for postexposure prophylaxis. Even so, a preexposure series is not recommended for all travelers to India. Cost is a consideration for many. Long-term travelers, expatriates, missionaries, and volunteers may want to obtain preexposure immunization for themselves and their children. Travelers may want to purchase a medical evacuation insurance policy that will cover travel for recommended rabies postexposure prophylaxis.
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1Do you mean for the Global Travel Clinic Directory shown on the home page? When I click into that, this search function appears as istm.org/AF_CstmClinicDirectory.asp– GiorgioAug 25, 2016 at 2:02
it is available in north India and you will get it in every possible hospital and the good news is that before it was 7 injection now they are reduced to 3.