Single pre-exposure rabies vax as effective as 2-visit schedule: Study by 2 Punjab medical colleges
PrEP vaccination is given before potential exposure to the rabies virus to provide protection. It is recommended for individuals at high risk of exposure, such as laboratory workers, healthcare professionals and those travelling to or residing in areas with high rabies incidence.
It is not available for the general population currently and only post-exposure rabies prophylaxis (PEP) vaccination is administered after potential exposure to the rabies virus, through the bite of dogs and other carnivorous animals like cats, monkeys, mongooses, jackals, foxes and wolves.
Notably, PrEP recipients require fewer doses of the post-exposure rabies vaccine, and can receive treatment without the expensive and difficult-to-get rabies immunoglobulin.
The study, published in 'Tropical Diseases, Travel Medicine and Vaccines' (Springer Nature), compared the immune response of both single and multi-visit schedules and reported a sufficient 90% seroconversion rate in the single-visit group, comparable to the standard method.
Lead researcher Dr Aman Dev Singh, assistant professor at GMC, Patiala, said the single-visit schedule could help overcome logistical issues such as multiple clinic visits, which could be immensely beneficial for rabies prevention in rural and underserved areas.
He added that findings were in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for simplified vaccination schedules to improve coverage.
'A single-visit protocol could also reduce dependency on rabies immunoglobulin — a costly and scarce resource — especially in severe (category 3) bite cases,' said Dr Aman Dev.
Notably, Punjab reported over 1.5 lakh dog-bite cases in the first half of 2025, with Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala being the worst affected. Last year, the state had recorded a total of 2.13 lakh dog bite cases.
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Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Single pre-exposure rabies vax as effective as 2-visit schedule: Study by 2 Punjab medical colleges
A single-visit rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) schedule is as effective as the conventional two-visit protocol, a clinical trial by Government Medical College, Patiala, and Government Medical College, Amritsar, has found. A single-visit protocol could also reduce dependency on rabies immunoglobulin, says Patiala GMC expert. (HT) PrEP vaccination is given before potential exposure to the rabies virus to provide protection. It is recommended for individuals at high risk of exposure, such as laboratory workers, healthcare professionals and those travelling to or residing in areas with high rabies incidence. It is not available for the general population currently and only post-exposure rabies prophylaxis (PEP) vaccination is administered after potential exposure to the rabies virus, through the bite of dogs and other carnivorous animals like cats, monkeys, mongooses, jackals, foxes and wolves. Notably, PrEP recipients require fewer doses of the post-exposure rabies vaccine, and can receive treatment without the expensive and difficult-to-get rabies immunoglobulin. The study, published in 'Tropical Diseases, Travel Medicine and Vaccines' (Springer Nature), compared the immune response of both single and multi-visit schedules and reported a sufficient 90% seroconversion rate in the single-visit group, comparable to the standard method. Lead researcher Dr Aman Dev Singh, assistant professor at GMC, Patiala, said the single-visit schedule could help overcome logistical issues such as multiple clinic visits, which could be immensely beneficial for rabies prevention in rural and underserved areas. He added that findings were in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for simplified vaccination schedules to improve coverage. 'A single-visit protocol could also reduce dependency on rabies immunoglobulin — a costly and scarce resource — especially in severe (category 3) bite cases,' said Dr Aman Dev. Notably, Punjab reported over 1.5 lakh dog-bite cases in the first half of 2025, with Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala being the worst affected. Last year, the state had recorded a total of 2.13 lakh dog bite cases.
Time of India
09-08-2025
- Time of India
State-of-the-art emergency block opens at GMCH-32
1 2 Chandigarh: In a significant boost to the city's healthcare infrastructure, Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Friday inaugurated the newly built Emergency & Trauma Block at Government Medical College & Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32. The high-tech facility promises to transform emergency care with its modern triage system, advanced ICUs, operation theatres, and diagnostic services including MRI, CT scan, and ultrasound. The inauguration was followed by the institute's 11th convocation ceremony, where Kataria, as chief guest, addressed the graduating batch of medical professionals. He praised the medical community for their unwavering service, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and urged the new graduates to uphold the institution's legacy globally. "Your greatest 'Guru Dakshina' will be to bring honour to your alma mater through your service and integrity," he said. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Indian Express
09-08-2025
- Indian Express
In death, a prescription for 50 years of kindness and care by Kannur's ‘two-rupee doctor'
In May 2024, a handwritten note in Malayalam was hung on the iron gates of a house in Kannur's Thana locality: 'I am not well enough to do my job today… So, (I am) stopping examining patients and giving them medicine.' Till the note was widely shared on social media in 2024, Dr Rairu Gopal remained Kannur's best-kept secret for 50 years. Since he started his career in 1974, this Kannur-based general physician continued to charge his patients just Rs 2 for a consultation — an act that earned him the moniker of the 'two-rupee doctor'. Though consultation fees across the country rose to three and even four digits over the years, Dr Gopal never hiked his fee. On August 2, Kannur's 'two-rupee doctor' breathed his last. As tributes poured in for the city's unsung doctor, who had looked after its health for five decades, so did his life's story. His son Balagopal, also a doctor, said his grandfather, A Gopalan Nambiar, who hailed from Kannur's Mavilayi, was a doctor with the Colonial-era Madras Medical Service. Dr Balagopal says, 'My father was guided by his father's (Dr Nambiar) advice that the medical profession should not be used to make money. He was told that if he wanted to make money, he should choose another profession.'' Having studied in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Dr Gopal graduated from the Government Medical College in Kozhikode in the early 1970s. 'He got admission to an engineering course, but opted for the MBBS programme because it was his dream,'' says his son. After completing his MBBS, Dr Gopal worked at a local co-operative hospital in Kannur. He also attended patients at the West Coast Nursing Home, which was established by his father in the city's Burnassery locality. A few years later, Dr Gopal started his own clinic — the beginning of his journey as the 'two-rupee doctor' in the north Kerala town. Inside his house, then in the city's Talap locality, Dr Gopal opened a two-room pharmacy-cum-clinic. His wife, Dr Shakunthala, joined the clinic but had a separate consultation facility. 'The consultation fee back then was usually Rs 2, a good amount back then. With a decade into the profession, my father had a settled life with a house in the city. He never wanted to hike his fee due to his concern for the underprivileged. He felt the consultation fee of Rs 2 and a meagre profit from the sale of medicines was enough to run the family. That may be why he never felt the need to hike his consultation charges,' says Dr Balagopal. Unlike many doctors, Dr Gopal kept rather unusual hours. 'He would wake up quite early, and open the clinic between 3 am and 4 am. He would see patients till 2 pm and prescribe only generic medicines,' adds Dr Balagopal. Dr Gopal's patients often came from distant places like Vadakara, nearly 45 km from Kannur, and Kasaragod, over 90 km away. His clinic's timings were a hit with the daily-wage labourers, who could consult a doctor without losing a day's pay. Despite a footfall of nearly 300 patients daily, Dr Gopal never dreamed of working at a hospital. 'Since he loved working independently, he never accepted any offers from hospitals or corporate health centres. Nor did he have any plans to expand his clinic. He loved his two-room clinic at the Talap house. Other than a facility for performing minor procedures, he did not have a laboratory at home,' says Dr Balagopal, adding that his father ran that clinic for 35 years with two staff members. At Talap, he said his father kept two cows to meet the family's dairy needs. Till age caught up with him, Dr Gopal continued to rear cows and distribute milk in the neighbourhood. Though his wife Shakunthala retired 15 years ago, Dr Gopal continued to see patients. Then, a decade ago, he moved to a new house in the city's Thana locality. In Thana, he downsized to a single-room clinic that he ran without a pharmacist. To a question on keeping his father's legacy alive, Dr Balagopal, who works with a hospital, apart from running his own clinic in Kannur, says, 'I ensure that I prescribe my patients only the medicines and lab investigations they require.'
