Rabies vaccine is a vaccine to prevent rabies disease. Rabies vaccine is an inactivated vaccine made by the attenuated strain of the rabies virus. This vaccine induces antibody production against the rabies virus in the human body. Currently, there are numerous rabies vaccines available to treat rabies. They are usually safe and effective. Rabies is commonly caused by dog bites or bat bites. These rabies vaccines can be used to prevent rabies before and after exposure to the rabies virus. Once after the exposure to the rabies virus, the vaccination is typically given along with human rabies immunoglobulin. Moreover, vaccinating dogs is very effective to prevent the spread of rabies among humans. In order to get long-lasting immunity, patients need a full course of treatment. Approximately 35 to 45 % of people develop redness and pain at the injection site after vaccination. And 5 to 15 % of people may also experience fever, headaches, nausea, etc., after vaccination. The first rabies vaccine was introduced in 1885. There are a number of improved versions of the rabies vaccine available at the moment. Furthermore, it is also on the list of essential medicines of the World Health Organization.

Rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) is a medication made up of antibodies against the rabies virus in the human body. It is normally used after exposure to the rabies virus. Usually, Rabies immunoglobulin is followed by rabies vaccine as well. It is injected into the site of the wound or into a muscle. People who already have been vaccinated do not need to get rabies immunoglobulins. In the US, it is recommended to give one dose of human rabies immunoglobulins and four doses of rabies vaccine after exposure over a 14 period. The use of rabies immunoglobulin first started in 1891.

Similarities Between Rabies Vaccine and Immunoglobulin

• Rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin are the most popular treatment options for rabies.
• Both are effective in reducing the viral particles of lyssaviruses.
• They are both used together after exposure to the rabies virus.
• Both can be injected into the body intramuscularly.

Difference Between Rabies Vaccine and Immunoglobulin

Rabies vaccine is an inactivated vaccine made by the attenuated strain of rabies virus that induces antibodies against rabies virus in the human body, while rabies immunoglobulin is a medication that is made up of antibodies against the rabies virus in the human body. So, this is the key difference between rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin. Furthermore, rabies vaccine can be given before or after exposure to the rabies virus, while rabies immunoglobulin is given only after exposure to the rabies virus.

Both of these products are very safe. It is much safer to get immunized with these products than to get rabies. People usually have only minor reactions that may last a couple of days after being immunized. RabIg is prepared from donated human blood that is tested for safety. All blood donors are screened for exposure to viruses such as HIV and hepatitis. Each blood donation is also tested for the presence of blood-borne viruses before being used to make RabIg. Many chemical and physical steps are included when preparing RabIg. These steps include inactivating and removing viruses and bacteria that can cause disease. The final preparation of RabIg undergoes more testing to ensure that there are no known infectious viruses present. However, there is an extremely small risk of passing some blood-borne infections through the use of RabIg. Since blood screening and testing began, there have been no reports of blood-borne infections such as HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C in people who received RabIg.

Rabies is a deadly viral disease that spreads to people from the saliva of infected animals. Rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin are the most popular treatment options for rabies. The rabies vaccine is an inactivated vaccine made by the attenuated strain of the rabies virus, while rabies immunoglobulin is a medication that is made up of antibodies against the rabies virus in the human body. Thus, this is the summary of the difference between rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin.

If an animal that may have rabies has bitten or scratched you, get RabIg and rabies vaccine as soon as possible. If you have already had a complete series of rabies vaccine you do not need to get RabIg. RabIg is given by injection into the area(s) surrounding the wound. It is given at the same time as the 1st dose of rabies vaccine. Rabies vaccine is usually given as a series of 4 doses over a period of 14 days. You will receive the remaining doses of vaccine 3, 7 and 14 days later. If you have a weakened immune system or are taking chloroquine, you will get a 5th dose of the vaccine 28 days after the 1st dose. For those with a weakened immune system, you need a blood test 7 to 14 days after the 5th dose of vaccine to determine that you are protected. If the blood test indicates that you are not protected you will need a second series of vaccine. If you completed a rabies vaccine series before being exposed to the rabies virus you should get 2 doses of the vaccine. These doses are given 3 days apart.

More than 3.3 billion people worldwide live in areas where rabies is enzootic. Human mortality from rabies is estimated at 59,000 deaths per year. Most cases occur in Africa and Asia and result primarily from canine reservoirs of rabies virus. In the United States, an average of three fatal human rabies cases have occurred annually since 2000, and almost 25 percent of those were imported cases due to exposures occurring abroad; among the 75 percent acquired within the United States, most have been associated with exposure to bats.

Rabies is virtually always fatal, but infection can be prevented with proper wound care and prompt postexposure prophylaxis. Preexposure prophylaxis may also prevent rabies but is not a replacement for wound care and postexposure prophylaxis. In the United States, approximately 16,000 to 39,000 patients with contact to potentially rabid animals receive rabies postexposure prophylaxis annually. The safety, efficacy, and administration of rabies immune globulin and rabies vaccine will be reviewed here. Clinical decision-making regarding the necessity for rabies postexposure prophylaxis can be complex and is discussed in detail elsewhere.

The key difference between rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin is that rabies vaccine is an inactivated vaccine made by the attenuated strain of the rabies virus that induces antibodies against rabies virus in the human body, while rabies immunoglobulin is a medication that is made up of antibodies against the rabies virus in the human body. Rabies is a serious viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain in humans and other mammals. It spreads to people from the saliva of infected animals. Its causative agent is lyssaviruses, which include both rabies virus and Australian bat lyssavirus. The observable symptoms may include fever, tingling sensation at the site of exposure, violent movements, nausea, confusion, hydrophobia, and loss of consciousness. The most prominent treatment options for rabies are rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin.

Rabies immune globulin (RabIg) provides immediate, short-term protection against the virus that causes rabies. RabIg contains large amounts of antibodies taken from donated human blood. Antibodies are proteins that a person’s immune system makes to fight germs, such as bacteria and viruses. Rabies vaccine provides long lasting protection against infection from the rabies virus. The vaccine is made from killed rabies virus and cannot cause rabies. In B.C., the rabies vaccine is provided free to those who have been exposed to an animal that may have rabies. It is also provided free to students attending a Canadian Veterinary College or Animal Health Training Centre.