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About Rabies
Rabies is a preventable viral disease that mainly occurs
in mammals. Humans can contract the rabies virus if bitten by an animal infected
with rabies. In the U.S, rabies infection has been mostly present in wild
animals such as raccoons, skunks, and bats. Domestic animals such as dogs
and cats account for less than 10% of the reported rabies cases. For more
information concerning rabies, visit the Center
for Disease Control and Prevention Rabies Information website. For
information regarding animal rabies vaccination services in Collin
County, visit our Rabies
Clinic page.
What you should know
If you have been bitten, scratched or had some type
of exposure to an animal you think may have had rabies, you must contact
your physician immediately! It is very important that a dog bite or
other wound caused by an animal, both wild and domestic, is seen by a
doctor. The wound needs to be cleansed thoroughly and a tetanus booster
may be needed.
If the injury was caused by an animal that can be located
(dog or cat living in a neighborhood) it must be quarantined for 10 days.
If the animal cannot be located within 72 hours, the rabies series may
be started. The series consists of an injection of antibodies (Rabies
Immune Globulin) that provides immediate protection and series of five
vaccinations. The vaccines must be given on days 3, 7, 14, and 28. Collin
County Health Department does not administer rabies shots, instead
it only acts as a pharmacy by providing the vaccines for your physician
to administer.
What you should do
If after seeing your doctor and he/she thinks that you
need rabies vaccination, you need to do the following:
- Call the Health Department and ask if the vaccine is available.
- If so, you must bring the following to the appointment:
- A written prescription from the doctor (he/she can also fax it directly to the Health Department).
- Some form of picture identification and your insurance information.
- A cooler with ice to carry the vaccine in.
The Texas Department of State Health Services requires
that the responsible party pay for the portion of the vaccine that
is not covered by insurance. You may pay by cash or check (no credit
or debit cards) when you pick up the vaccine or the Health Department
can send you a bill. If you do not have insurance, arrangements can be
made for payments or a sliding scale can be applied.
CCHCS does not provide pre-exposure rabies vaccinations.
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