If you are bitten, scratched or exposed to animal saliva abroad, act immediately.
Rabies can be prevented after an exposure if the correct treatment is started promptly. Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost always fatal.
1. Wash the wound immediately
Wash and flush the area with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes.
Then use an antiseptic if available, such as:
Povidone-iodine (Betadine)
70% alcohol
If saliva has gone into your eyes, mouth or nose, rinse thoroughly with clean water. TravelHealthPro advises urgent wound washing, disinfectant and prompt medical assessment.
2. Get medical help the same day
Do not wait until you return to the UK.
Seek help even if:
the scratch is small
there was little or no bleeding
the animal looked healthy
it was a dog, cat or monkey
you have had rabies vaccines before
Tell the clinician:
What animal? What happened? Where were you bitten? When did it happen? Have you had rabies vaccine before?
3. Ask about BOTH treatments
If you have not previously completed rabies vaccination, ask:
“Do I need rabies vaccine AND rabies immunoglobulin?”
Rabies vaccine helps your body make its own antibodies.
Rabies immunoglobulin — RIG/HRIG contains ready-made antibodies and, when required, is placed into and around the wound.
RIG can be difficult to obtain. TravelHealthPro notes that many countries have limited or no access to rabies immunoglobulin.
4. Do not delay vaccination while searching for RIG
If RIG is not immediately available, start appropriate rabies vaccination promptly and ask the medical team to help locate RIG.
Under current UKHSA guidance, HRIG is generally not required once more than 7 days have passed after the first vaccine dose, subject to the individual risk assessment.
5. Keep a record
Before leaving the hospital or clinic, photograph or write down:
vaccine name
dates given
batch number if available
whether RIG was given
hospital or clinic name
Keep all paperwork.
Where can I seek treatment?
Useful starting points include:
Bangkok, Thailand — Thai Travel Clinic, Hospital for Tropical Diseases
Mumbai, India — KEM Hospital Anti Rabies Clinic
Marrakech, Morocco — Mohammed VI University Hospital
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — Pasteur Institute Ho Chi Minh City
Bali, Indonesia — Bali International Hospital / Cassa Medical Bali
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — designated municipal rabies referral hospitals
Important
Rabies vaccine and RIG stock can change. A hospital being listed here does not guarantee that treatment is available today.
If possible, contact the hospital before travelling there and ask:
“Do you currently have rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin available for post-exposure treatment?”
If treatment is urgent, do not delay care simply to reach one of the hospitals listed above. Attend the nearest appropriate medical facility.
Rabies vaccine course after exposure
For an unvaccinated, immunocompetent person who requires post-exposure vaccination, the current UK schedule is:
Day 0 → Day 3 → Day 7 → Day 21
Day 0 is the day the first vaccine is given, not necessarily the day the bite happened.
For someone who is fully vaccinated already, the UK schedule is usually:
Day 0 → Day 3–7
and HRIG is generally not required.
Immunosuppressed people require a different schedule and specialist advice.
If you return to the UK
Even if treatment was started abroad, contact your GP when you return and show them all your records.
If you are already back in the UK after a possible rabies exposure, seek urgent medical advice through your GP, NHS 111 or A&E if urgent/out of hours.
Healthcare professionals can contact UKHSA for specialist rabies advice.
Remember
WASH — 15 minutes
DISINFECT — iodine or 70% alcohol
GET HELP — the same day
ASK — vaccine AND RIG
RECORD — everything you receive
RETURNED TO UK — contact your GP
Guidance checked: September 2026.
Based on current UKHSA rabies post-exposure guidance and TravelHealthPro advice. UKHSA guidance was last updated in June 2025, including revised recommendations on human rabies immunoglobulin use.
This information is a practical guide and does not replace an individual medical assessment. Rabies treatment depends on the country, animal, type of exposure, previous vaccination history and immune status. Treatment availability and hospital services can change.