I have read the FAQ.

Lemme preface this by saying I KNOW I have anxiety and I’m really trying hard to be logical about this. I actually do NOT want PEP unless I need it. The vaccine itself makes me anxious, so I’m not looking for an excuse to get it.

Wednesday around 10:30p I was riding my bike (in south Mississippi if that helps) and something flew right at me. My immediate thought was big bug.

I’m about 92% sure it touched me as it flew by—kinda ran into me but not hard. I wasn’t 100% on contact occurring but pretty sure, if that makes sense.

I just don’t know WHAT it was. For whatever god forsaken reason I thought of a bat. It was kinda big but again, no actual clue what it was, happened too fast to ascertain actual size.

I’ve now talked to two virtual doctors & the health department. Not intentionally.. lol. I tried the health dept first, then a doctor, got conflicting answers, and ended up trying another doctor since it’s a free service through my job.

1. One doctor said no PEP. Sweet.

2. The other said get PEP because I can’t be sure what touched me.

3. Health department didn’t even let me finish my sentence before giving me a canned response of: don’t know, get it.

So my question is:

I was awake, sober and literally riding a bike. Nothing landed on me or grabbed me and I felt no bite. I never specifically saw a bat—I just don’t know WHAT brushed against me as it flew by.

The FAQ says bats can’t bite you just flying past and an alert adult would likely notice a bite. Butttt one dr/the health dept basically said “you can’t prove it wasn’t a bat, so get PEP.”

That’s the part that’s giving me pause. Are they just giving me a shitass response because it’s rabies, or am I misunderstanding how a bat could bite/scratch me in this situation?

This my best, most earnest attempt to kick my OCD in the ass. I want to make an informed & logical decision.

So to the knowledgeable folks of this group: What say you?

I was reading up on the history of the rabies vaccine. Given how terrifying and fatal this disease is, would it be accurate to call Louis Pasteur the ultimate savior or hero for developing the vaccine? I have read the FAQ.

“I have read the faq. But I haven’t seen anything about this in it. Possible exposure question. 5 years ago I had noticed a raccoon that was displaying serious rabies symptoms in a tree in the woods by my house. I had pet geese. That night the raccoon got ahold of one of them(she passed away that night from what I’m assuming was shock). My husband and I ran outside when my neighbor texted me saying there was something in one of my barns. He immediately shot the raccoon as it scurried up a wall and not long after I had handled the goose that had blood on her and wounds from the raccoon. I didn’t have gloves on. This was all extremely stupid, I know. Naturally with health anxiety to the extreme like many others on here, I called doctors, vets, and the health department. All of them didn’t think I was exposed to the point where I should get the shots. I still to this day when seeing the incubation time get sick to my stomach thinking “what if I had a small cut, what if I touched my face.”
At the time I remember I was kind of cautious and threw bleach all over my arms and hands and I know if I had a cut or ANYTHING I would have been at the er immediately. The goose did have wounds and blood and probably saliva from the raccoon on her side. The health dept picked up the raccoon and it did test positive. I remember a vet telling me I’d have to drink a gallon or so of the saliva to be infected, and it dies shortly after being out of the body. Can anyone offer any facts or info because 5 years later I go into the rabies freak out again and wonder if I should get the vaccine. Yes I know the health dept, vets and doctors told me no but now I’m looking back at the gallon of saliva statement and wondering how true that is or how much she really knew about rabies in general.

Hi everyone! I’m a volunteer wildlife rehabilitator in NY. I’ve been rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife for almost two years and am now working toward becoming licensed to rehabilitate Rabies Vector Species (RVS), including raccoons, foxes, skunks, and bats.
To safely expand my rehabilitation work, I need to receive the rabies pre-exposure vaccine series. Unfortunately, my insurance will not cover the preventive rabies vaccine for my work as a wildlife rehabilitator, leaving me with an out-of-pocket cost of approximately $1,000.
Wildlife rehabilitation is volunteer work, so we aren’t paid for the time we dedicate to caring for these animals, and many of the expenses associated with the work come out of our own pockets.

link here to donate ❤️

I have read the FAQ.

So last September/October, I got the usual first course of rabies shots (4 shots plus RIG). Tonight, not quite one year later, we had a bat in our house, and chased it out. As it finally left, it landed on my shoulder/neck for a few seconds, and I felt a slight scratch. There was definitely contact, and *possibly* a bite/claw scratch; it's hard to visualize.

I have read the FAQ.

With this being over 6 months past my initial PEP, it sounds from the FAQ like I need to get my titer checked to determine whether a new round of shots is needed. Am I reading that correctly? How urgent is the check, meaning, if I call my PCP in the morning to ask him to order the titer test, can I wait a few days for results? Or should I just go to the ER where I had my first shots, and ask them to do that titer check and then be prepared for new shots on the spot in case it comes back below level?

A recently published scientific paper suggests that the true number of human rabies cases in USA is much greater than is officially recorded, based on statistical inference from cases of transmission during organ transplantations.

I have read the FAQ.

Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44528-026-00031-4

i have read the FAQ.

Rabies PEP - Urgent

female, 33.

i ended up having to get rabies PEP yesterday at the ER for potential bat exposure.

the nurse reconstituted the vaccine and it remained room temp and under the hospital light for about 20-30 mins before injecting it, mostly because i was nervous and had him hold off for a minute, and then he had to leave and another nurse came and took over and provided the vaccine.

the packaging says once it's reconstituted to use the vaccine immediately. and to not leave it out of the fridge or in the light. mind you it was out of the fridge for about twenty minutes prior but had no been reconstituted yet and was still in the box.

i tried calling the ER to talk to the doctors, a nurse, or pharmacist and i can't get through to anyone. i even tried calling the RabAvert manufacture and they only speak to medical providers. i guess i gave to go into the ER to ask this question.

i was wondering if the stability and efficacy of the vaccine is still okay because it wasnt injected until about 20-30 mins after being mixed.

does anyone have experience with this or who i can call to ask?

is it dangerous to get another vaccine in between my day 0 and day 3 vaccines?

thanks in advance.

I have read the faq. The exposure would have happened during the winter of 2023 or 2024. I thought I felt something attacking my foot which was sticking out of the covers. I remember opening my eyes and seeing what I thought was a bat fly to the corner of my room, however then it disappeared and I fell back asleep. The next morning I couldn’t find any sign of the bat. My window was cracked open but I have screens. This is right outside a major New England city- so I’m not sure if there are even bats. I was just reading about the rabid goats which made me remember the bat incident. I assume this was a vivid dream but am not 100% sure it was fake even though I never found a live (or dead) bat. Should I be concerned?

I have read the FAQ. I had a bat exposure yesterday and started my vaccines today (I also got the immunoglobulin today). I’ve seen conflicting things about drinking l; I’m on vacation for Labor Day and was hoping I don’t really have to limit drinking. Is it possible heavy drinking could suppress my immune system so that the vaccines/immunoglobulin doesn’t work?

I have read the FAQ. I was in an area shopping where there’s a heavy bat presence. I had seen them the evening prior. But during the daytime I felt a sharp sting on my back. I had been under a tree at that time. I did not see what caused the scratch but whatever it was broke the skin. Since it was daytime it’s highly unlikely to have been a bat right? I would have seen it fly off? I looked at my back briefly but didn’t study the surroundings at the time. I only ask because I saw them flying all over the place the night before.

I have read the FAQ. A monkey at the Ubud Monkey Forest forcefully jumped onto my face. I think its fur or hands may have touched my inner eye, and its hand lightly scratched my face. However, there were no visible scratch marks or bleeding.
I only had hypochlorous acid spray with me, which is known not to sting wounds, so I couldn’t tell whether there was a small scratch that I couldn’t see. I also read that it is supposedly as effective as regular alcohol for disinfecting.
I didn’t get any shots at the time because I assumed there were no scratches. However, today (the 4th day after the incident), I visited Siloam Hospital to be safe. The doctor said that shots were not necessary because he also could not see any visible scratches.
I leave Bali in two days and wanted to ask for advice. Should I still ask for rabies shots when I return home?
Google states that there have been 45,000+ documented rabies cases in Bali from January to August 2026.
I generally don’t do risky things, but this was a split-second, stupid decision that I really regret. Thanks in advance for your advice.

Editing to add that the zoo keeper mention that the monkeys are regularly vaccinated and supervised and that none of the monkeys have ever tested positive and its also mentioned on their website. I’m unsure of-course about the accuracy of his statement.

I can't find the answer to this. I'm in the US and I knew that the post exposure treatment for rabies was expensive out of pocket but I thought it was in the ballpark of 1k kind of expensive, at most. Apparently it's more like 8-10k for treatment??!

Now I'm concerned because I lost my health insurance by accident and can't get it back until January. I actually just a few months ago had a bat in the bedroom (safely caught, euthanized and sent for testing, it was negative). I assumed at the time that if I couldn't catch the bat for testing, the worst that would happen is having to go get the rabies PEP but I would have been absolutely coming apart with fear of not being able to catch that bat if I'd known the treatment was so over the top expensive. What if it happens again before January?? I wouldn't get insurance coverage for the treatment.

I'm fairly close to the border with Canada so now I'm wondering, it's unlikely but if I were to have exposure again before I have my insurance back, is it possible to drive across the border and get the PEP in Canada? I know I'd pay out of pocket and would be happy to, but I don't think the out of pocket cost is 8k there. I tried to search for an answer and all I could find was what to do if you are exposed while traveling in Canada.

Sorry if this is a panicked question, but that PEP cost is insane.

I have read the FAQ.

Hey all, I have read the FAQ and still have a question about the vaccine coverage. How long does its protection last? I got the vaccine in Sept 2023 after being bit by a stray cat. I've always been curious about the coverage and am especially curious after feeding some deer in the backyard (I know, I know, not a good idea). I'm nervous because it licked my arm and I have hangnails on my hands. This happened in an area where a lot of people feed deer, which explains why it wasn't scared of humans. Tia.

I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ. so the doses i had were scheduled like this: day 0-0-7-21.

On august 10 i had the third dose(day 7) which means i should've had the (day 21) dose on 24 aug now its 1 sep so today is day 8 AFTER the day the last dose shouldve been taken, what do you think i should do, restart everything again or just take it today.

I have read the FAQ.
Yesterday i got touched by a monkey, there was no blood or mark tho. But still just to be safe i got the rabies vaccine & doctor put me on 4 doses under 28 days cycle, can i do water fasting during my rabies vaccine cycle or it might have some consequences.

I was vaccinated in 4 times in june 2025 spread over multiple days.

So i have posted here before now i got an update i will receive my second shot today the first i got last friday.

Since people say the vaccines are highly effective before symptoms which I don’t have.

Can i rest assured now and let go of my fears ? Since i have been crying my eyes out for days (i will immediately seek therapy)

i read in the FAQ that I don’t need rig because i was previously vaccinated (last year).

I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ.

Soooo, I got my two dose booster PEP recommended by the health department. First dose went fine. Second dose was give way high up on my arm and hurt a lot.

Would I have to repeat this dose if it somehow got injected into my bursa and not fully my deltoid??

I really don’t want another shot

So I know, I'm an idiot in and of itself for asking this question and for what happened but- long story short, my dog was going through the zoomies and in the process some of his saliva got on my hand.

Me, being the moron, forgot and proceeded to pick my nose with the same hand that had saliva... Is this how I get rabies accidentally? (Fyi his vaccine is also overdue, but hasn't been aggressive or anything.)

I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ.
A few nights ago, I was sitting outside at night talking to my husband. We live in South Texas, and there were bats actively flying above and around us that night. We see them pretty often after dark, and sometimes they fly fairly low.
While I was sitting down, my shirt had lifted slightly and the side of my stomach was exposed. Suddenly, I felt a very quick, sharp sensation on the exposed skin. My immediate reaction was to swat at the area because I assumed some kind of insect had bitten or stung me. I never saw what caused it. When I checked afterward, there was only a very tiny red mark.
My husband was standing directly in front of me and looking at me when this happened. He says he did not see a bat fly into me, land on me, or make any physical contact with me. I also never felt an animal’s body or wings touch me. All I noticed was that sudden sharp sensation.
Normally, I would assume this was a mosquito, ant, or another insect. But it’s that bats were flying above us when it happened. Afterward, I read that bat bites can sometimes leave very small marks.
Now I’m wondering whether it’s possible that a bat could have flown down, bitten the exposed side of my stomach, and flown away without either my husband or me noticing the bat itself. My husband thinks this is extremely unlikely because he was looking directly at me and believes he would have seen the bat or I would have felt its body or wings.
I’m also pregnant, which is making me more concerned about the situation.
Would you consider this a possible bat exposure even though neither of us actually saw or felt a bat make physical contact with me? I’m especially curious whether a bat could realistically bite an awake person who is sitting and talking to someone without either person noticing the bat.