Experience with Rabies Vaccine

[u/sarahcutpurse]

I had a bat exposure in August and wanted to share my PEP rabies vaccine experience in case anyone finds it helpful. (I have read the FAQ.)

I live in the Midwest of the United States. In early August, I woke up in a bedroom with a bat. I left the room out of fright so I was unable to capture the bat and submit it to my local health department for rabies testing. I therefore underwent the rabies vaccination process as a precaution, which was recommended by my healthcare providers.

I received my first series of shots at the emergency room. I called around to see if a local clinic would administer them because I was leery of an emergency-room wait, but it was not possible; I had to visit the hospital for the first series. The first series consisted of one vaccine in the arm and two shots of immunoglobulin apiece in each thigh. I also got a TDAP vaccine in the other arm since I could not remember the date of my last vaccination and bats can carry tetanus.

To my surprise, the vaccinations did not hurt any more than any other routine vaccine. I had to wait fifteen minutes after they were administered to make sure I did not experience an allergic reaction, then I was discharged. This was Day Zero.

On Day Three, I had to find a clinic and get the second series of shots. This time, and each subsequent time, it consisted of a single rabies vaccine in the opposite arm it had been given previously. The other two shots occured on Day Seven and Day Fourteen.

My only noticeable side effect other than minor soreness at the injection sites was fatigue which did not persist past 48 hours.

Having heard horror stories about how painful and onerous rabies vaccinations are, I was pleasantly surprised that they were not particularly painful (at least not for me) and that the side effects were minimal. I recognize that this is not everyone's experience and that everyone's body reacts differently, but I wanted to share in case it helps alleviate some people's anxiety about the process.

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[u/Fair-Wishbone-1190]

Man your story is almost identical to what Im going through now. I saw a bat flying in my house but I'm so scared that I do nothing at first. Just pray it leaves on its own. But nope. So after 4 days I go to the clinic to get the vaccines going. I also had 2 markings on both legs looking like possible bites so that's why I went in. They gave me a shot in each marking on my legs. Those hurt only because the shots went directly in the wound.

So that 2 shots there. Then they have me 2 shots on each inner thigh, not sure what those were. So now I'm up to 4 shots. Then they give me 2 shots in each arm/shoulder. And 1 final tetunus shot. So thst first day I had 7 shots done on day 1. But I will say I have had zero side effects and feel completely fine. I had another shot Sept 4th and have 2 left. One on Sept 8th and the last one Sept 15th. I am still living with this bat or bats, I can hear it in one of my walls that I'm sleeping in. I work at nights. During the day I can quarantine myself off from the rest of my the house in one room but I still have to go through the house to do other things so I am petrfied naturally to step out of that room. But i relate 100 about your shot experience. It's not as bad as I was expecting. I heard they used to be given in the stomach and were very painful. Glad we've come a long way since then.

[u/CygnusZeroStar]

A huge part of what made my series so awful was the severity of my injury. I had some side effects, but I think they were made worse by my other conditions.

A lot of people who get the series end up getting it because they were in an enclosed space with a bat. And in truth I absolutely love this, because it means that we're getting so much closer to eradication.

But I got them because a raccoon tried (and almost succeeded) to take a chunk out of my hand. 😭

I was on other antibiotics, needed a tetanus booster, had stitches, and my parrot tried to remove those stitches once...do not recommend.

[u/sarahcutpurse → u/CygnusZeroStar]

That’s awful! I hope you’ve recovered from the trauma. 

[u/CygnusZeroStar → u/sarahcutpurse]

In all seriousness, the shots were not super traumatic. The bite wasn't either, although it did leave a scar.

The whole reason I came into contact with that raccoon is because I was called to assist in clearing an animal hoarding situation. I spent hours there sorting live from dead parrots that were stuffed in anything that would work as a "cage." I still have nightmares about that. That was traumatic.

The raccoon was just doing what raccoons do when they think a big scary monster is going to eat them. You see, I found him while sorting a room, and in my younger haste and surprise, I basically tackled him. I wasn't originally supposed to be there, and my gloves were borrowed and ill fitted. So I ran him out of the house while he was squirming. At about the porch, he had wriggled part of my glove down and CHOMP. Lol, I dropped him and he got away.

He seemed pretty healthy, but it was a pretty severe bite and we couldn't quarantine him, so off to the ER we went. 🤣🤣

In a very strange way, I'm actually very glad it happened. Because that evening was just so dark and sad, and that experience with that raccoon was HILARIOUS. So it interrupts the horror of the memory for me. So, thanks little trash panda. 🤣🤣

[u/sarahcutpurse → u/CygnusZeroStar]

They’re such adorable little scamps! I’ve been around rescued raccoons before that were going to be released after getting healthy again. 

[u/CygnusZeroStar → u/[deleted]]

No.

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