Rabies pre-exposure vaccination typically is recommended for travelers who plan activities that will bring them into contact with wild or domestic animals, or who will be visiting remote areas where medical care might be difficult to obtain or who plan to stay longer than one month in areas where dog rabies is common, such as in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Typical costs:

For patients not covered by health insurance, the cost of a rabies vaccination typically includes: a consultation fee, sometimes shot administration fees, and the cost of the three required doses of vaccine for a total of $500 to $1,200. For example, at the Michigan State University Travel Clinic[1] , the cost of a rabies vaccination is at least $35 to $95 for a consultation, depending on how long it lasts; $20 for shot administration ($15 for each additional shot) and $200 each for the three required shots for a total of at least $685. And at Baylor Travel Medicine in Texas, an initial consultation costs $85 to $150, depending on the complexity of the patient's travel itinerary and medical history; a follow-up appointment to administer the vaccine costs $25 to $85; and the vaccine cost is $325 each for a total of at least $1,110.
Travel-related vaccinations, such as the rabies vaccination, often are not covered by health insurance because they are considered elective; however, some plans with preventive benefits do cover them.
For patients covered by health insurance, typical expenses include a copay of $10 to $40 for the doctor visit and a copay for each dose of the vaccine. For example, this BlueCare Direct HMO[2] covers vaccinations, including those needed for travel, for a $20 copay.

Related articles: Travel Vaccinations, Travel Insurance

What should be included:

During the initial travel consultation, a nurse or doctor specializing in travel medicine will ask about your itinerary and activity plans -- and probably will be more likely to recommend the rabies vaccination if you will be spelunking or working with animals.
After determining that you need the pre-exposure rabies vaccination, the health care professional will administer three shots: a first dose, a second dose seven days later and a third dose 21 or 28 days after the first dose.
The vaccine begins to provide protection in a week to 10 days, and protection lasts at least two years.
If you have been vaccinated and are bitten or scratched by an animal, you still must seek treatment immediately. However, having been vaccinated against rabies means that you will need less extensive post-exposure treatment; this can be helpful because rabies treatments are not readily available in some developing countries.

Shopping for rabies vaccine:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has guidelines[3] on who should receive a rabies pre-exposure vaccine.
The CDC also offers resources to help you find a travel clinic[4] .
At times, rabies pre-exposure vaccines have been unavailable in the United States because of shortages. The CDC offers a rabies page[5] with information on vaccine availability.
According to CDC guidelines[6] , anyone with a compromised immune system, or anyone who has had an allergic reaction in the past, should talk to a doctor before getting a rabies vaccination.
Risks and possible side effects associated with rabies vaccination include: headache, nausea, abdominal pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, hives, joint pain and fever. The CDC offers a fact sheet[7] on rabies and the vaccine.

Material on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Always consult your physician or pharmacist regarding medications or medical procedures.

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Three bat bites on son's hand trying to capture

Amount: $0.00

Posted by: Brenda Fox as designator for Cameron Fox in Portland, ME.	Posted: August 18th, 2023 05:08PM
Insurance: None between jobs	Medical Facility: Maine Health, Portland. Maine

Son got three bites while capturing. Bat was picked up and never delivered to the CDC in Augusta Maine in a timely fashion either by Portland Police Department or Gam Wardens who was on vacation and dropped the ball and it wasn't received for a week. Therefore, my son was forced to have four days of inoculations totaling nearly $22,000. because they did not know if the bat was rabid or not, and it is fatal. I've checked every state association i.e. Apttorney General, Senator Susan Collins, four attorneys who are too backlogged and don't dare to sue the City Of Portland, Governor Mills office never returned call and they say we cannot sue PPD despite being a resident of the City Of Portland for over 40 years. Now in NH Macram Collection and threatening sending to Transunion and Equifax. What recourse do we have? Collection agency will not take anything but the full amount and payment plans good last decades.

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