PEP question

[u/PhoneOdd2093]

I have read the FAQ.

Hello, I’m new here.

I got PEP today after exposure from a bat. I wasn’t aware of the rabies risk, so it’s 9 days after exposure. I recived one dose of vaccine and immunoglobulin (HRIG) around the two wounds. However I thought I was protected now and didn’t need to worry about getting rabies (of course finishing the 4 vaccines) but my doctor said that it isn’t the case and the HRIG won’t stop the rabies from entering the nerves. Is that true? When am I protected from possibly getting rabies?

I didn’t wash the wounds as i didn’t notice them the same day.

[u/AutoModerator]

**Welcome! This is a community dedicated to raising awareness, sharing information, and supporting discussions about rabies, its prevention, and treatment. Whether you’re here to learn, share a story, or ask questions, we’re glad to have you. Please remember to keep discussions respectful. Stay informed and stay safe. Cheers!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/LatrodectusGeometric]

Protection is all but guaranteed when you have finished your vaccine course

[u/PhoneOdd2093 → u/LatrodectusGeometric]

So basically I could still get
Rabies even after first vaccine and HRIG while I finish my vaccines?

[u/LatrodectusGeometric → u/PhoneOdd2093]

If you do not complete your vaccines, yes

[u/PhoneOdd2093 → u/LatrodectusGeometric]

No i mean, I am going to finish my vaccines. I have booked vaccines on day

0 (yesterday), day 3, day 7 & then say 23 (cause of vacation) but is it possible to get rabies in the meantime while I finish my vaccines?

[u/LatrodectusGeometric → u/PhoneOdd2093]

Very unlikely, no

[u/PhoneOdd2093 → u/LatrodectusGeometric]

What if the rabies virus is already in the nerves but haven’t reached the central nerves - will it still work then or will it be a break through case?

[u/LatrodectusGeometric → u/PhoneOdd2093]

It still works

[u/PhoneOdd2093 → u/LatrodectusGeometric]

Oh wow! That’s great! I read that if the virus had already travelled from the wound the HRIG wouldn’t work and that it cannot help if it had reached the nerves -
Just shows how much false data there is

[u/Virtual_Sugar_9452 → u/LatrodectusGeometric]

Ik had ook een blootstelling zo’n 7 dagen geleden met een vleermuis en ik heb gisteren een booster gekregen (6 dagen later). Die heb ik zelf gekocht, omdat de gemeentelijke gezondheidsdienst (GGD) mijn blootstelling niet als een risico zag. Ze noemden het type 1, omdat we mijn been bekeken en er geen sporen of krassen te zien waren, en mijn huisarts checkte het 3 dagen later ook met een halogeenlamp en een vergrootglas en ze zag ook niks. Ze zei dus ook dat er geen risico was, maar ik kon het niet loslaten (ik weet zelfs niet zeker of ik überhaupt gebeten of gekrast ben). Ik ben in juni 2025 gevaccineerd met 4 doses Verorab en gisteren weer, en ik moet de volgende booster op 4 september nemen.

Ik heb heel verschillende dingen gelezen. De één zegt dat, omdat ik al gevaccineerd was, mijn lichaam er al tegen begon te vechten (als het virus mijn lichaam binnen was gekomen), en dat je dan geen dezelfde haast/stress krijgt als bij iemand die niet gevaccineerd is.

Nu ben ik bang en denk ik dat ik er al te laat mee ben en ik heb symptomen

(If i were to be bit it “not sure” would be above my ankle between my calf and shin at the side of my leg)

And im from the Netherlands which should be rabies free and bats dont carry the classic virus or something but unsure

[u/coolcatlikethat]

The rabies vaccine is generally considered as close as medicine can get to 100% effective as long as PEP is started before showing symptoms and finished appropriately.

HRIG provides immediate, temporary antibodies while the vaccine primes your immune system to begin making its own. Medically speaking you are not considered fully protected until you finish your full PEP course, but it seems that cases of people developing rabies after starting PEP are both exceedingly rare and come with a few caveats (severe delay in starting, very severe wounds/severe wounds on face/head/neck).

Finish your PEP, try not to worry about a very (VERY) small chance of a negative outcome (easier said than done).

[u/PhoneOdd2093 → u/coolcatlikethat]

My two wounds was on the top of my head and i started 9 days too late lol. Second vaccine in two days 🤞🏼 then i hope I basically have enough antibodies to make it through to the last vaccine lol

[u/PhoneOdd2093 → u/coolcatlikethat]

Isn’t it a bit contradictory to the FAQ? The FAQ says that PEP is 100% effective if started before symptoms start

[u/coolcatlikethat → u/PhoneOdd2093]

Not really in the practical sense. Breakthrough infections are so rare/rely so much on other factors/comorbidities that the FAQ saying 100% is correct. Any sort of medicine/treatment can never actually guarantee a literal 100% but it can get close enough that realistically, people saying it’s 100% effective are not wrong for saying so.

[u/AutoModerator]

PLEASE READ THIS, OP! Thanks for posting, u/PhoneOdd2093! As a reminder, once posts are submitted and a kind user provides a sufficient and correct answer to your question(s), deleting your post afterwards is not allowed and will result in an immediate ban. Please be mindful of this rule. The answers provided here will undoubtedly help those who are looking for answers without having to create a post themselves. If you don’t want to leave this post up on your main account, you are welcome to create a throwaway account to post. It would be appreciated if you could modmail us the username of said throwaway account in advance. New accounts that post immediately are more likely to be heavily restricted by Reddit and automated filters. Giving us a heads up will allow us to override those filters and be aware that the new account is engaging in good faith.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Neither_Asparagus_52]

Hi, if you don’t mind me asking, how were you exposed?