How Much Does It Cost for a Rabies Vaccine

Rabies exposure puts you at risk. Whether you are bitten by your dog or any other animal, it is important that you have a rabies vaccine as failure to do so can lead to more complications and worse to death. Unfortunately,  there are still a lot of people who do not know much about rabies vaccine and its purpose. Who should get vaccinated? How much does it cost for a rabies vaccine?

Know More About Rabies

You may not often hear about rabies cases but its impact globally is still felt. It is a serious illness and there are cases where a person with rabies may end up too late to save. It is a killer that spreads using a mammal as a host.

So, what is basically a rabies? It is a viral infection that spreads through saliva and it can be quite fatal. There are symptoms and they can be quite the same with flu which could last to about 2 to 12 days.

Some of the symptoms include anxiety, fever, confusion, headache, hyperactivity, excess salivation, fear of water, nightmares, insomnia and even partial paralysis. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should go to a doctor right away.

Since it is hard to determine if an animal has rabies, it is better to be safe and start the shots.

Rabies vaccine is used to prevent rabies. These vaccines are used to avoid rabies prior and for a certain period of time after exposure. It gives you immunity after 3 doses. According to the World Health Organization, vaccination is used for 2 different situations. One is to protect people who are at risk of being exposed to rabies and second is to prevent clinical rabies after exposure. That is why it is very important that those people at high risk of exposure should have a vaccine. Dogs and other pets should also have vaccination. Rabies vaccines are safe for all age groups.

Cost of Rabies Vaccine

The cost of rabies vaccine actually depends on different factors. If it is covered in your health insurance, you can expect a much lower cost. What is included in the cost of rabies vaccine? It usually includes 3 doses of vaccine, admin fees and consultation fee. How much does it cost for a rabies vaccine?

The price ranges from $500 to $1200. It actually varies from one place to another. For instance, when you go to Michigan State University Travel Clinic, the cost of the vaccination is from $35 to $95 for the consultation. It costs $200 for the 3 required vaccine shots. In total, you are expected to shed out about $700. There are also cases where the cost of rabies vaccine would depend on the patient’s medical history and itinerary. For travel-related vaccinations, since they are not covered by a health insurance policy, patients may have to shoulder the costs.

How about if your health insurance provider covers the different types of vaccine (i.e. human rabies vaccine) ? The cost ranges from $10 to $40 since you have to pay for the copay and for the doctor visit.

What should be included? When you go for a consultation, you should expect a doctor or a nurse who is specializing in providing travel medicine services especially if you are having a travel-related vaccine. The medical professional will ask you about your activities and itinerary. They will determine that kind of rabies vaccination that you need. Basically, you need to have 3 shots. You need a 1^st dose, a 2^nd dose 1 week after and a 3^rd dose 28 days after the first shot. If you get bitten or even scratched by any animal, you should get treatment right away. In fact, even when you experience human encounter, you should get human rabies vaccine. The good news is that if you are already vaccinated, you do not need extensive treatment.

Who Should Be Vaccinated?

Who should get a rabies vaccine? It is recommended for different people under varying circumstances. For one, laboratory workers who are handling samples of rabies virus, people handling animals and even people working in zoos should definitely have a rabies vaccine. It is also important for people travelling to an area where rabies is common. Those who are trekking in a jungle should also have a rabies vaccine.

Shopping for Rabies Vaccine

When shopping for rabies vaccine, you will not have any difficulty. But it helps that you are familiar with it. There are guidelines released by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They provide information as to who should get a rabies vaccine. Make sure that when you have a vaccine from a healthcare or medical facility, they are certified to do so.

Are There Side Effects?

After getting a rabies vaccine, you may experience some side effects. There are some people who experienced having temporary soreness, swelling and injection 1 to 2 days after the rabies vaccination. There are also instances where you might experience having a headache, mild fever, muscle aches, vomiting and rashes. Are there severe reactions? Based on studies, severe side effects are quite rare.

What You Need to Know About Rabies Vaccine

Apart from asking, how much does it cost for a rabies vaccine? There are other things that you need to know about rabies vaccine. For one, when you take the vaccine shots, they are in order. Meaning you cannot just have the vaccine shot anytime you want.

Which animals have rabies? Basically, almost all have rabies. In fact, even humans do. This explains as to why there is a human rabies vaccine. Animals that have rabies include dogs, cats, bats, foxes, skunks, coyotes and raccoons.