Rabies and Jap E vaccinations
 

Looking for some opinions/experience on vaccinations for rabies and Jap E.

We went to see the travel docs today to start with our jabs, and we were talking about how you get Jap E. From my understanding the risks become higher if you spend lots of time on farms (ie be in contact with animal, especially pigs) and if you are in rural areas for very long periods.

The rabies jab won't prevent you from getting rabies, but will give you an extra 24-48 hours 'grace time' to get treatment instead of maybe needing treatment in the first 24 hours.

So my question is, has anyone ever heard of someone getting rabies or Jap E on their travels and what is your view on 'calculated risks'

FYI - the areas we will be travelling is from far eastern russia to eurpoe and the along the east coast of africa to Cape Town.

I'm not looking for a professional opinion or professional advice, just looking hoping to hear from people's experiences and how they would weigh up the odds...:confused1::confused1:

Thanks in advance

Cant give you advice on the Jap E jabs, but I've been told I should get the rabies ones too in the past, and have made an informed decision not to. I've travelled in Afghanistan, E.europe and the middle east and morroco. When I was in Afghanistan the dogs were HUGE and moved in packs, very unnerving but a powerful maglite scared them off.. I think with a bit of common sense and keeping your wits about you its unesscary (spelling!) saying that, ppl do suggest it and for good reason.... I cant remember if its the 'innoc' or 'cure' but one of them is a set of EXTREMELY painful injections, that and the cost put me off....... But the more experienced motorcycle adventurers here probably will advise differently, they know more and i would act accordingly.

Hi Pumbaa

Rabies vaccine is one that I chose to have as I would be more than 24 hrs away from hospitals. You are right in that it you still need to be treated but the vaccine delays the transmission of the virus through your body giving you an extra 48 hours max. When I studied tropical medicine it was suprising that not every hospital keeps the immunoglobulin needed as treatment so it may have to be transported to the hospital you turn up at for treatment - for this reason I had the vaccine.
Many travellers on here will disagree with having the rabies vaccine, but then a lot deem it safe to take no malaria tablets.

Jap B is transmitted by mosquitos and the virus uses cattle as hosts so staying away from cattle is a good thing but mosquitos can travel!

Its a decision you need to make for yourself but I would contact your local travel clinic to see whether Jap B is needed - from memory I think you may be at risk in Russia.

Rabies jabs
 

I had rabies jabs a few years ago as part of a "deal" with an employer (no charge to me therefore): they are not painful at all, but they do take place over a period of time - 3 in total I think, with the final one as a booster some months later from the first.

I have also heard that the cure is painful (but you would not be too bothered, considering the alternative).

For my trip the 3 of us are going through this process too. Russia and Baltic states are a risk area for Jap, there is a peakk seaon that conincides with the peak summer period and runs a bit into early autumn.

From memory rural areas do rpesent a risk but as has been said the carries being mozzies then where you find them you find a higher risk.

The 3 of us will have the Jap E and probably the rabies too, - but as has been said it's a personal thing - as there are 3 of us we're looking at it from the point of view that if one person gets something nasty it's a little unfair to lumber the other 2 (if they hadn't elected to have the jab)

My question would be, how intensively will you be involved with dogs/wildlife/cats while you travel to justify the need for a rabies jab? I know European vets working with all of the above in Kenya, who don't bother. Only Asia and Africa are high rabies areas.
Lorraine

Unfortunately even if you are not planning to be in contact with any animals, dogs do have a morbid obsession with motorbikes and from experience like to wait by the road side at checkpoints and then try to go for your ankles!

Best advice - swerve the bike toward them as they then soon back off, or a favourite of a fellow traveller on here, use a maglite

I'm photographing street dogs in S. America for my next book, so I'm in constanct contact with them. The easiest way to make a street dog leave you alone, is simply to reach down to the ground. You don't actually have to do anything else. Dogs all over the world are trained to think this action means a rock is about to thrown at them. Even if there's no rock in sight, they take off. Try it, you'll be amazed at the response.
Lorraine

hi there,
i had the rabies jab [think its called rabipure] as i was intending doing work with furry things. they were spaced out almost the same as the hep jabs. They cost me I think 90 quid as doc and pharmacy dropped their charges.
My little bro got the jap E one for thailand think it costs around 80-100 and it was advised only because he was staying for long periods in very rural jungle type areas.
The new rabies cure/treatment jabs you get are no longer painful they used to be done into the stomach hence the painful bit now they can be done into a limb or your butt.
IF you plan to get alot of jabs make sure you plan them well before your trip as you can not take some together or even close together. I was told it was to do with live vacines

My problem is ive had the hep jabs 3 times now 2 fulltime courses and 1 accelerated and none have taken. But at least my work paid for it.

a question, does it suppress the symptoms? or just slow its progress. the reason I ask is, will you still know you have the onset of rabies?

rabipur
 

APPGuide Online - Consumer Medicine Information - RABIPUR<SUP>®</SUP> - CMI

Rabipur

Treatments for Rabies - WrongDiagnosis.com

this doesnt match what my doc told me but they could have been mixed up with the older vacine as they had never given one of these before. the last link lists what you need to look out for and how to deal with beastie bites when the furry ones no longer love you.

A friend and I are in the process of getting Jap enc and Rabies haveing had Hep B (second lot as the first course failed) et al.
Jap E is carried by midge / mozi but Rabies is skin permiable, I am told, so for me there was no question. Hep B, can be in the soil apparently. Ya come off and..............

Mike has had the Rabies (£95) and reported NO pain, as for me I have done the Jap E (£75) course, Rabies next, with NO pain. Both are 0 -7 & 28 day injections (I think!)
Hep B was £10 a time x 3 then a blood test.

Hope this helps some.

Update
 

Just a quick update

We decided to get the whole lot in the end. Yes, they are expensive but we felt that it was worthwile seeing that we might not necessarily be within 24-48 hours of facilities which might be able to treat you for rabies.

Nothing was painful ( I think the worst one was actually tetanus, had a small hard bump for a few days..??...strange)

I thought they were expensive here in Oz at AU$100 a shot, was it GBP 95 for all 3, or per injection.

We also decided to get the cholera sachet (2 sachets per course ). Still need to take those. Just mix with water and drink. It is for 2 years.

The prices were per course for the Jap and Rabies but the Hep was for each jab. The rest were on the NHS. That said I have had more Tetinus then I care to recall, still, the flu jab will be the last, before we go.

Toodle pip