Rabies is one of the deadliest viral infections globally, with a near 100 per cent fatality rate once symptoms appear. Fortunately, timely vaccination after a dog bite, animal scratch, or suspected exposure can completely prevent the disease. However, doctors are now reiterating an important public health message: the rabies vaccine should only be administered in the shoulder or the thigh, never in the buttocks.
According to renowned pediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, if the vaccine is administered on the backside, you will have to restart the process for it to be effective. “Again and again, I am telling you, if a dog or a cat, or a horse, or a cow or a buffalo or a money or a bat scratches you or bites you, or for that any mammal, and if rabies vaccine is prescribed., it should be taken either in the shoulder or in the thigh – not in the buttocks,” she told her followers on Instagram.
Dr Santosh warned that giving the rabies shot in the gluteal region can significantly reduce the vaccine’s effectiveness. “This mistake of giving rabies vaccine in the bum is happening even in hospitals, even by doctors and nurses in many places. Unfortunately, it should not be taken in the buttocks or bums; it has to be taken only in the thigh or in the shoulder, please,” she added.
The rabies vaccine works by stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies against the rabies virus. For this immune response to be strong and protective, the vaccine must be injected into a muscle with a good blood supply. According to global health guidelines from organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rabies vaccines should be administered intramuscularly in the deltoid muscle – the upper arm, in adults and older children, or in the anterolateral thigh in infants and young children.
The buttocks contain a thick layer of fat tissue. If the rabies injection is accidentally delivered into fatty tissue instead of muscle, the body may not absorb the vaccine properly. This can lead to a weaker immune response, increasing the risk of vaccine failure - a potentially life-threatening mistake.
If you experience dog bite or scracth, wash the wound with water and get the rabies vaccine administered without delay
Doctors have raised concerns that in some settings, rabies vaccines are still being incorrectly administered in the buttocks. This practice not only goes against international rabies vaccination guidelines but may also compromise protection against the rabies virus. Doctors emphasize that:
If you experience a dog bite or animal scratch, make sure to immediately:
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