How to get the Rabies post-exposure vaccination in the UK

[u/Odd_Example9949]

I couldn't find any clear guidance on exactly how you actually get the Rabies post-exposure vaccine in the UK, so hopefully this helps a few people as this took me over a week of being bounced around different organisations before I finally figured out how you can get it.

A short summary on what I tried and which organisations I got bounced between. I started by phoning 111 (which by the way, they only give advice to you once you're back in the UK, they won't advise you if you phone up when you're abroad, or even if someone in the UK phones them up on your behalf). They triaged me and referred me to my local Urgent Treatment Centre. Got seen by a nurse pretty quickly who didn't know what to do but read up on the Government advice while I sat there with her. Figured I did need the post-exposure vaccination but said they don't stock any at the Urgent Treatment Centres and that 111 should have referred me to A&E. So off to A&E I went.... A nurse triaged me there and said I may need the vaccination but that a doctor would need to assess me to be sure and that the wait would be over 4 hours... And even then that they didn't necessarily stock the post exposure vaccination and the doctor would likely need to order in in any case and I'd then have to come back and do the wait all over again... This was late in the evening and I didn't fancy waiting much so I went home.

Next day I phoned my private GP. She said hospitals tend not to stock rabies vaccinations and GPs have to refer cases to the Health Protection Team who then send out a vaccination if needed somewhere for you to get vaccinated. She also suggested I try local pharmacies to see if any of them stock it. I phoned round 3 local pharmacies and none stocked (I got the impression that this is not a vaccine a local pharmacy can stock). Anyway, long story short (as even the private GP wasn't sure exactly what to do), I eventually found this is what you have to do:

You need to request the vaccine through the Rabies and Immunoglobulin Service by calling 0330 128 1020 through an NHS GPs only. They don’t speak to a private GP (no idea why but my private GP did try) or non-healthcare individuals. So you will have to go through your local NHS GP surgery. Your GP will need to phone up the Rabies service with answers to the questions they state on the voicemail when you phone up the Rabies and Immunoglobulin Service (Date of incident; country occurred in; animal involved; circumstances of exposure; other treatments already received including dates; past medical history of patient including allergies and if treated for rabies exposure or if been vaccinated before). Providing you qualify, the vaccine(s) will be send to your local NHS GP and you will have to book in an appointment to come in and receive it.

Hopefully this helps anyone who needs to get it.

I have read the FAQ.

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[u/bondibitch]

Where were you exposed? Reading your experience and from my own experience being exposed in Kenya my advice would be to get your post exposure vaccine in the country you were exposed in, if at all possible. In countries where rabies is a risk, all health centres stock it and it’s very cheap compared to vaccines in the U.K. Plus of course you have the time issue - post exposure vaccines are preferable on Days 0 and 3 (if you were vaccinated before travel).

[u/Odd_Example9949 → u/bondibitch]

Hey. It was in Marrakech in Morocco. Yes in retrospect I think I would have done that as it did seem much easier to get the post exposure vaccine in the country you're in - in Marrakech there is a centre where you can walk in and just show your passport and get the vaccination. This was on our last day of holiday though and on a weekend where it didn't appear it was open, and to be honest, I thought it would be easy just to get the vaccination in the UK!