7 days ago
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.
