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IMOVAX® Rabies can help protect you from rabies
IMOVAX® Rabies is a vaccine used to prevent rabies. Vaccination with IMOVAX® Rabies before any potential contact with an infected animal reduces the number of injections you will require if you are exposed to rabies. This is particularly important for travellers to high-risk areas where there is limited access to post-exposure rabies treatment. You will receive 3 injections for pre-exposure immunization:
- 2 injections, 1 week apart;
- a third injection, 2 weeks after the second injection.
Persons with a weakened immune system, whether from disease or treatment, may not obtain the expected protection from the vaccine. Your healthcare provider may do a blood test to confirm your level of protection.
Immunization is an important measure in preventing rabies, but it is not 100% protective. Travellers are advised to practice caution around strange animals and to be aware of their surroundings at all times. Ask your healthcare provider about ways to protect yourself from exposure to diseases transmitted by animals.
Have a bleeding disorder or are taking blood thinning medications? Tell the person giving you the injection about your condition. The injection must be done carefully to prevent excessive bleeding.
Learn more about rabies
How is rabies spread?
The main method of exposure to rabies is through bites from infected animals. It is noteworthy that, in recent times, rabies resulting from contact with bats has become the most significant public health concern for the Americas and the Caribbean.
Children may be at higher risk for contracting rabies as they are more likely to come into contact with stray animals and may not report it. It should be noted that not all animals infected with rabies exhibit aggressive behavior; some may be calm and gentle.
How can I protect myself?
IMOVAX® Rabies is a vaccine used to prevent rabies. Vaccination with IMOVAX® Rabies before any potential contact with an infected animal reduces the number of injections you will require if you are exposed to rabies.
Who should be vaccinated?
Individuals travelling to a rabies risk area should consider receiving IMOVAX® Rabies pre-exposure. Others include people at potentially high risk of contact with rabid animals, such as certain laboratory workers, veterinarians, animal control and wildlife workers, spelunkers, and persons hunting and trapping in high-risk areas.
Do not vaccinate:
- anyone with a known severe allergy to the vaccine or any of its components. To help avoid side effects and ensure proper use, talk to your healthcare provider before you or your child take IMOVAX® Rabies. Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if you have any allergies to this vaccine or its ingredients or components of the container;
- anyone acutely ill with an infection or fever. Wait until you are well before receiving the vaccine;
- pregnant women. They should discuss the risks and benefits of IMOVAX® Rabies vaccination with their healthcare provider.
If you have been exposed to rabies virus, you should get the vaccine regardless of any other illnesses you may have.
Possible side effects to know about
IMOVAX® Rabies may result in certain side effects such as swollen lymph nodes, hives, rash, breathing difficulties, wheezing, headache, dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, joint pain, bodily discomfort, fever, or chills. Some individuals may also experience pain, redness, swelling, bruising, or itching at the site of injection.
Although nervous system disorders have been reported after rabies vaccination, such instances are rare, and it is uncertain whether they are directly related to the vaccine. As with any medication, there is a possibility that the vaccine may cause serious problems such as severe allergic reactions.
However, the risk of IMOVAX® Rabies causing serious harm is extremely small. The small risks associated with IMOVAX® Rabies are much less than the risks associated with getting rabies. If you experience any unpleasant symptoms or side effects after receiving the vaccine, inform your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist immediately.
This is not an exhaustive list of potential side effects. If you experience any troublesome symptoms that are not listed or that interfere with your daily routine, don’t hesitate to reach out to your healthcare provider.
Will I ever need another IMOVAX® Rabies vaccination?
Individuals who encounter an animal that is suspected of having rabies should ask their doctor about post-exposure immunization with IMOVAX® Rabies. The management of the individual with suspected infection must be made promptly since delaying the initiation of the vaccine regimen reduces its efficacy, and the disease, once symptoms manifest, is almost always fatal.
In the event of exposure, individuals who have completed a full course of pre-exposure immunization will require two post-exposure injections. However, those who have not received a complete course of pre-exposure immunization will require five post-exposure vaccine injections in addition to rabies immunoglobulin. Your healthcare provider can provide complete dosing information for the vaccine.
A booster dose of the vaccine may be recommended two years after the initial immunization if you are traveling to a region where the risk of contracting rabies is prevalent or if you remain at risk of exposure to the disease.
Ask your healthcare practitioner about the IMOVAX® Rabies vaccine
IMOVAX® Rabies is a vaccine used to prevent rabies. IMOVAX® Rabies is given to persons at high risk of exposure to rabies as a result of their employment, travel, hobbies, etc. It can also prevent the disease if it is given to a person after they have been exposed to rabies following an animal bite or other similar incident. This vaccine may be given to adults and children of any age. IMOVAX® Rabies causes your body to produce its own protection against the rabies virus. When you get a series of rabies vaccine injections, your immune system produces antibodies against the virus in the vaccine. When you are in contact with the rabies virus, the antibodies will prevent rabies disease. A series of shots is needed to protect you or your child against rabies.
Tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well after receiving. IMOVAX® Rabies. Rabies vaccine cannot cause rabies because it does not contain any live virus. As with any vaccine, immunization with IMOVAX® Rabies may not protect 100% of individuals. Some people who receive IMOVAX® Rabies may have side effects such as swollen lymph nodes, hives, rash, shortness of breath, wheezing, headache, dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, pain in joints, bodily discomfort, fever or chills. Some people who receive IMOVAX® Rabies may have pain, redness, swelling, bruising or itching at the site where the needle was given. Nervous system disorders have been reported after rabies vaccine, but this happens so rarely that it is not known if they are related to the vaccine.
These are not all the possible side effects you may have when taking IMOVAX® Rabies. A vaccine, like any medicine, may cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. The risk of IMOVAX® Rabies causing serious harm is extremely small. The small risks associated with IMOVAX® Rabies are much less than the risks associated with getting rabies.
If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, tell your healthcare professional. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if IMOVAX® Rabies is right for you or a family member. For more information, visit www.sanofi.ca.