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_Oman t1_iufxih4 wrote

Reply to comment by AquaDoctor in Is taking rabies vaccine 100% effective? as in the once infected person won't need a booster shot in the future? by DetectiveSherlocky

Hello Mr. Dr.

Had wildlife worker friend who encountered the wonderful world of rabid raccoons much too often. He was told the Ig was to get an immediate immune response using foreign antibodies so that the virus could not replicate well enough to move into the nerve cells. For some reason if the virus does reach the long nerves, the body can't make an effective defense and the virus will kill you.

Does that seem correct?

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Xion407 t1_iuhzn1y wrote

Basically yes this is true, the antibody injection will fight the virus to give your body time to create its own antibodies in response to the vaccine. Rabies must be kept out of the central nervous system because once it reaches there then it’s already too late and the odds of survival are almost zero. It takes our body a week or two to start creating its own antibodies and that’s why you have to receive several doses while your body is ramping up production.

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