Quote Originally Posted by Doc Alan View Post
My maximum time in the Philippines has been a month or less, over several visits since 1978 ( when I worked for a year at the University Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ). At no time did I consider it necessary to have rabies or Japanese encephalitis vaccines, or antimalarial tablets, because of the places I visited, and my home in Malaysia was on the University campus next to the hospital.



I can’t give advice to individual members, most of whom I don’t know personally. All I can do safely is to give information based on best available evidence. It’s a matter for each person to reach a decision according to their general health, where they plan to visit ( or live ), and what they intend to do during their visit - after consultation with their doctor / nurse, and reading reliable source(s).



So-called " pre-exposure prophylaxis " ( immunisation ) is different to " post-exposure prophylaxis ". Each depends on the age and general health of the patient, and ( after a bite ) whether or not the suspect animal can be shown to have rabies.


Essentially pre-exposure involves several intramuscular injections and booster dose(s) of vaccine. Post-exposure involves not only further vaccines but also immunoglobulin for immediate " passive " immunity.


Each regime is indeed expensive, either in UK or the Philippines. Of course, once there are symptoms - after a variable incubation period of usually 1 - 3 months, rabies is almost always fatal. It is preventable ONLY by vaccination ( and immunoglobulin ).
Forgive my ignorance Alan but does that mean if I get bitten by a rabies infected animal while in the Philippines and I have NOT had the pre-exposure vaccination then I am essentially screwed? if I get to the hospital straight away and take the post-exposure vaccinations ONLY will I be ok?