Why Do Humans Not Get Rabies Shots Like Dogs Do?

Rabies shots are a legal requirement for dogs in most places in the US, ever wonder why don’t we have them for humans?

What kind of rabies shots do dogs and cats get?

If you have a dog or a cat, they have probably gotten a rabies vaccine like IMRAB-1 or IMRAB-3. This is a rabies pre-exposure vaccine that will protect your pet for one year or three years depending on the kind you get.

Are there preventative rabies shots for humans?

Yes, there are preventative rabies shots for humans, however they do not work the same way they do for dogs and cats. You can learn more about preventative rabies shots here, but essentially, if you are a human with preventative rabies shot and you don’t go to the doctor and get follow up treatment, you will still get rabies and die.

Would a rabies vaccine for an animal work on a human?

A preventative rabies vaccine for an animal would most likely work on a human. Rabies vaccines are used off-label for a large number of species. For example, rabies vaccines are commonly used off-label at animal sanctuaries for animals like raccoons and foxes. Aditionally, after consulting my friend Chris who is a primate specialist at another sanctuary, I learned that rabies shot are also used off-label for monkeys and chimpanzees. Now because the IMRAB vaccine is used on chimpanzees, it is probably safe to say it would work on humans as well.

Why are preventative rabies shots for animals not used on humans?

Preventative rabies shots for animals not used on humans and there are no attempts to get them approved for human use because these vaccines are 95% effective. Meanwhile, the current rabies treatment that we provide humans is 100% effective. While 95% may seem like a good rate, over 60,000 Americans alone receive rabies post-exposure treatment each year. We in the United States have not had a single rabies death since 2021. If we were just out here giving humans rabies vaccines for animals and calling it a day, we would have hundreds, maybe thousands, of rabies deaths each year. In short, the reason humans do not get rabies shots like dogs is because there is no need to use something that is 95% effective when we have something that is 100% effective.