4 Rabies Shots Just As Good As 5
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), voted on Wednesday to change the standard number of shots needed for rabies from five to four.
Regulators agreed that four shots given over the first 14 days following rabies exposure was just as effective as giving five shots.
The ACIP is made up of 15 experts in fields related to immunization. Members have been selected by the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services to advise the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new decision will amount to vaccine conservation as well as a savings for patients, as the typical rabies vaccination from Novartis or Sanofi Pasteur can range from $100 to $200 each.
Each year, between 20,000 and 40,000 Americans are exposed to rabies, and about 1,000 are given only three or four shots. None of those who get less than five shots have developed rabies, according to the Associated Press.
Rabies is a noninfectious virus that is transmitted through bodily excretions and tissue. The CDC refers to the virus as a “medical urgency not an emergency,” adding that wounds should be immediately washed and victims should seek professional care.
The average number of US rabies-related deaths is about two or three each year.
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