After being bitten by a dog, you should get vaccinated against rabies, if you don't get vaccinated, rabies infection can spread and even kill people. All over the world, rabies infection caused by dog bites is more common. But not only dogs, there are many other animals whose bite can cause rabies infection.
There are also examples of rabies caused by the bites of cats, foxes, furrows and other wild animals. Therefore, not only when bitten by a dog, but also when bitten by these animals should be vaccinated against rabies.
In Nepal, about 900 people are vaccinated against rabies every day. Although the vaccine is readily available, the number of deaths due to rabies has not decreased. According to the data of the last 14 years, 12 to 14 people died due to rabies every year, but this number has increased to 22 in the last few years.
The reason for the increase in the number of deaths
Even though the government is providing free rabies vaccine, the number of deaths due to rabies is increasing instead of decreasing. The reason for this is that there is a lot of confusion and negligence in the society about rabies.
Vaccination should be done on the day of being bitten by a dog or other animal. Do not vaccinate because it doesn't matter if you are not vaccinated after four or five days. The reason for this is not to vaccinate.
Some people do not vaccinate the dog when it is small because it will not spread rabies when bitten by a small dog. The number of deaths due to rabies is increasing due to some people who do not vaccinate, thinking that the wound is small and it will happen even if they are not vaccinated or if the wound is healed.
In what situation to be vaccinated and what to do immediately?
If you get bitten by an animal, you should immediately go to the hospital and get vaccinated against rabies. We don't know if an animal that bites us has rabies, so even if it's a small wound, we should get vaccinated. If a dog infected with rabies dies within 10 days, it must be vaccinated against rabies.
After being bitten by dogs and other animals, if you go directly to open the water tap and forcefully wash it in running water for at least 15 minutes, almost 90% of the rabies virus will go away. If possible, washing with soapy water is more effective. After that, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible and get vaccinated.
What happens if you don't get vaccinated?
How often should the injection be done?
The vaccine should be applied as soon as possible after the animal bite. But if it is not possible to vaccinate immediately, vaccinating can be done after one to two weeks. The sooner you get vaccinated, the safer it is.
Rabies vaccine is available free of charge in government hospitals and health institutions. So don't hesitate to get vaccinated. In urban areas, many people have knowledge about rabies vaccination, but people in rural areas may not know much. So people who live in pharmacies and health posts in villages
Training should be given on how and when to administer the rabies vaccine. If this is done, the number of deaths due to rabies can decrease.
