Rabies pre-exposure vaccination

Who this is recommended for

• Veterinarians, animal handlers and laboratory staff
• People with frequent occupational or recreational animal contact
• Travellers to areas where reliable post-exposure treatment is hard to reach

Schedule

Two visits, on day 0 and day 7. The intradermal route uses much less vaccine than the intramuscular route and costs considerably less.

Timing

Any time. Routine boosters are not needed unless high risk continues.

What is available, and what we use

These are clinically equivalent. Rabies vaccine is a price-controlled formulation in India, which is why they all sit within a few rupees of one another. Given intradermally, the cost per person is lower still.

Product names and prices are listed so you know what you are being given and what it costs. They are for identification only and do not constitute a recommendation of any manufacturer. Prices shown are the manufacturer's maximum retail price per dose as at 12 August 2026; manufacturers and the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority revise these from time to time, and your actual cost is confirmed before anything is administered.

What we will not gloss over

• Pre-exposure vaccination does not remove the need to seek care after a bite. It simplifies what is needed: wound washing plus two vaccine doses, and no immunoglobulin.
• Indian national guidance and World Health Organization guidance have differed on the number of pre-exposure doses. We follow current national guidance and will explain what you are being given.