Which rabies vax is safer - Imovax or RabAvert?

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Hi Everyone,

I'm starting vet school this fall and want to start my rabies series ASAP, as I've heard that lots of people have side effects from the shots.

Imovax is derived from human cells and RabAvert from chick embyro cells. I haven't been able to find any info about relative safety and side effects.

Does anyone know whether one vaccine generally is preferred? My only concern is minimizing adverse effects (both short and long-term).

Thanks in advance!

I don't know the difference in side effects (I have heard that after getting the vaccine, it is common to be sore for days and to perhaps have some other side effects)...do you have a choice? I was trying to get the vaccine before starting vet school but after exhausting several options (calling hospitals here and in the city I'm moving to), it sounds like it's really complicated to get ahold of the vaccine. I hope you have better luck than I did (I established myself as a patient at a clinic where I was told they would be able to get me the vaccine...turns out it's so complicated to get it if you haven't been exposed that the clinic won't do it). Let us know what happens!

Originally Posted by fleabear

Hi Everyone,

I'm starting vet school this fall and want to start my rabies series ASAP, as I've heard that lots of people have side effects from the shots.

Imovax is derived from human cells and RabAvert from chick embyro cells. I haven't been able to find any info about relative safety and side effects.

Does anyone know whether one vaccine generally is preferred? My only concern is minimizing adverse effects (both short and long-term).

Thanks in advance!

This is completely anecdotal from the doctor that gave me my injections, but he said that he has seen far less severe reactions from the RabAvert vaccine. I believe RabAvert is easier to come across right now. When I told him I was surprised at how easy the series was (besides my arm being sore after the first injection I didn't have any other reactions), he told me that that seems to be his experience with the RabAvert vaccines. Take that with a grain of salt!

What's everybody been paying for these shots? I contacted my local health department and was quoted $255 per shot so I politely declined. I also couldn't get my insurance company to give me a straight answer on whether they would cover it or not - the woman on the phone just reread me my policy with all its legal garble. I guess I'll wait until school starts and get them at the school for $150 each.

I had to go to the health deparment to have mine. I will check to see which one I got...I didn't get a choice, only one available. It made me horribly sick...BUT I also react badly to other vaccines including Tdap. I paid $196 per shot (same cost as it would be at school, and since I have a history of reaction, I figured I was better off getting it over with while I could rest it off.) My insurance WILL pay for it, however I had to provide a copy of my 1) acceptance letter 2) tuition deposit 3) letter from the dept of health which included a copy of the national recomendations for vaccination with rabies 4) statement from teh school that it requires vaccination. 5) script from my GP.

My understanding, based on some research, is that if you have nasty reactions to Tdap, MMR, or the hep series, you are likely to have a bad reaction to rabies. For me, the reactions were progressively worse...I had nausea, headaches, fever (up to 101,) exhaustion, muscle fatique, joint pain.

I'm paying $160 per shot here in MD, which I am fairly content with after reading how much others on here are paying. I'm getting mine done at the health department, and my insurance won't cover it unfortunately. I'm not sure which vaccine I am getting, my first one is Tuesday and I'll find out then I suppose.

I'm pretty sure that the only one that's approved for pre-exposure right now is the RabAvert. I think I read that on the CDC website. I just had my first one on Monday with no side effects other than that my arm was pretty sore yesterday. It's already feeling better though. Of course everyone's different so I think it's hard to predict whether you would experience a reaction until you get the shot.

I've had 2 of the RabAvert so far and other than some arm soreness (lasted less than a day) I've been fine.

Mine is $195 per shot. Iowa's letter sent out a few months ago said that the shots will be approx $150 per shot, but the new letter they just sent said count on $300 per shot!! So I'm thrilled with the $195 - which is at a discount from the normal cost. My insurance doesn't cover it. I got mine through a pharmacy (doctor wrote a script, hospital outpatient pharmacy ordered it, actually receiving shot as a favor from someone in the hospital).

I got Imovax 2 years ago at a travel immunization clinic at a hospital on Long Island and it cost $210 per shot. Insurance would not cover it.

Luckily, I did not have any bad side effects except soreness (worst after the first one, better after the second, minimal with the third).

Originally Posted by EqSci

I've had 2 of the RabAvert so far and other than some arm soreness (lasted less than a day) I've been fine.

Same here, I finished my series about two months ago. No problems just some soreness. Luckily, my vaccines were free through the occupational health program in my graduate department. I priced them before I knew I could get them for free and they were ~200/vac

Paid roughly $200/shot to get the RabAvert, and I jut finished my last dose Wednesday. I haven't had any reaction to the RabAvert other than soreness, which was worse with the second shot and nonexistent with the first and third. I also got a tetanus booster along with the third shot though, and I have had some strange reactions to it- massive soreness, an hour of dizziness, and general feeling icky.

I only had a slight reaction to the 2nd shot- tired, run down for a day after. I had Rabavert.

Mine were $230, $290, $290 here in North Florida. Wow- less than $200 to me sounds like a bargain. My employer each years give us a 'flex" card with $700, and I used all of it on the shots, at least I wasn't out of pocket too bad.

My freshmen year of undergrad I worked on a farm for a vet school and they paid for my rabies shots (they had dogs there for terminal surgery). I am really glad they did because I didn't realize how expensive it was until I saw these posts! I didn't have any side effects either-so I was all around pretty lucky.

For what it's worth, my series was Imovax, kinda pricey, and no significant side-effects aside from a tiny bit of soreness.

Hi everyone--
I am currently a pre-vet student and I was supposed to get the three-series pre-exposure rabies shots since I was going to South Africa to work with wildlife. I recieved my first shot one week ago (Imovax) and I had a bad allergic reaction. I have never had a reaction to any medicine, vaccine, food, etc. before but I vomitted multiple times and developed very large hives all over my arms, legs, and torso. I also had a numbing sensation (following by muscle spasms) in both of my arms for over 1 day. I was very weak (and still am) and I had diarrhea. This is considered a "moderate" reaction to imovax. My university will not continue with the shots.
Has anyone had this reaction or anything similar to it? If so, what did you do and were you able to get the RabAvert?

Thanks!!!

I got mine because I work in a research lab. I don't know which one I had, but I didn't have any adverse reactions (just soreness in my arm) until I had both a rabies vax and a hep B vax or my DTaP (can't remember which) in the same day. Luckily it was on a Friday so I just slept all weekend. Yup my big side effect was that I was insanely tired. I've never been one to react to vaccines though. I had a bunch of friends who had bad reactions to the HPV vaccine, but my arm just got sore.

I got the 1st rabies, typhoid fever, and hepatitis A vaccines all in one day this past summer! My only reaction was soreness, and I tend to be sensitive to medications. I think the hepatitis one was more painful than the rabies vaccine (but the HPV vaccine is the most painful vaccine I've ever received!). I think my rabies vaccines were RabAvert, and all three total cost me just over $800 (with about a $100 discount) if I remember correctly, but I also got them directly from a hospital's pharmacy. My insurance would not cover them, but I have a friend with insurance that covered his.

I had RabAvert and the only thing that bothered me was a big headache when I woke up the next morning. My employer paid for the vaccine which I think was about $500 for the series but then I had to go to a clinic to have them administered ( employer also paid for that). Another person I knew that had the same vaccine got really sick after each shot.

Wow, I am scared to get the vaccines now. I am allergic to everything environmental, some foods and thankfully no medications that I know of *fingers crossed*. What happens if you had a horrible reaction to your first shot say life threatening bad then what do you do since it is required for vet school? Just wondering.

I haven't had mine, but there was a time when I possibly was going to have to get the series if I was going to work on this one research project (funding fell through). The estimate I received from my doctors was $600 for the whole series and they had to be told ahead of time due to the vaccine not being readily available. It did not seem that hard to get, I just had to tell the docs when I was going to need it.

Originally Posted by 2016DVM2016

Wow, I am scared to get the vaccines now. I am allergic to everything environmental, some foods and thankfully no medications that I know of *fingers crossed*. What happens if you had a horrible reaction to your first shot say life threatening bad then what do you do since it is required for vet school? Just wondering.

You die, and make someone on the waitlist very, very happy.

I got mine 3 years ago when I accidentally hugged a rabid bat in my attic.

Originally Posted by nuevaburra

You die, and make someone on the waitlist very, very happy.

I got mine 3 years ago when I accidentally hugged a rabid bat in my attic.

HAHA, you are right. Well, at least you have yours already

Originally Posted by 2016DVM2016

Wow, I am scared to get the vaccines now. I am allergic to everything environmental, some foods and thankfully no medications that I know of *fingers crossed*. What happens if you had a horrible reaction to your first shot say life threatening bad then what do you do since it is required for vet school? Just wondering.

I'm allergic to a LOT of things (including at least one medication), and I did not react to my rabies vaccines.

At the clinic that I work at we use IMRAB 3 which is a killed virus and a three year rabies vaccine. We very very rarely get any side effects using it so maybe you can check that one out. I think it is manufactured by Merial.

I've had two of the three RabAvert so far. I had zero reaction to the first, and just a bit of muscle tenderness and stiffness for the second.

idk which one i had, but i had 0 side effects. no soreness, no pain, no nothing. the vaccine i had pain and soreness with was an intradermal flu shot. now that sucker hurt for days!

Originally Posted by WALDO045

At the clinic that I work at we use IMRAB 3 which is a killed virus and a three year rabies vaccine. We very very rarely get any side effects using it so maybe you can check that one out. I think it is manufactured by Merial.

n00b

j/k, but this thread is talking about the human vaccines, not the pet ones

I had the RabAvert vaccine series. Thankfully, my employer paid for it since it is required for my job and I was able to get it at the health department in the same town as work. My deltoid was really sore for several days after each of the vaccines. The worst was the first vaccine since I got that in one arm and TDAP in the other, so I had two useless arms instead of just one The pain was bad enough that it hurt to raise my arms, put on shirts and just forget it if someone hugged me or I bumped my arm on something! Other than that and some mild fatigue, I didn't have any of those other bad adverse reactions.

I had to get the rabies series to volunteer at a wildlife center last year. I got Imovax. I don't know if there was a choice, I didn't ask. The only side effect that I experienced was an extremely sore arm the day after each of the shots. It felt like someone wound up and hit my arm as hard as they could. But the pain was gone by the second day. Insurance paid for mine. They said it was part of their "essential" vaccines

Originally Posted by scwtg13

Hi everyone--
I am currently a pre-vet student and I was supposed to get the three-series pre-exposure rabies shots since I was going to South Africa to work with wildlife. I recieved my first shot one week ago (Imovax) and I had a bad allergic reaction. I have never had a reaction to any medicine, vaccine, food, etc. before but I vomitted multiple times and developed very large hives all over my arms, legs, and torso. I also had a numbing sensation (following by muscle spasms) in both of my arms for over 1 day. I was very weak (and still am) and I had diarrhea. This is considered a "moderate" reaction to imovax. My university will not continue with the shots.
Has anyone had this reaction or anything similar to it? If so, what did you do and were you able to get the RabAvert?

Thanks!!!

I had what appears to be an autoimmune reaction to the Imovax. I convinced the health center to finish the series because they offer it to all incoming first-years for free (), and, well... I'm a broke veterinary student.

In retrospect, I wish I'd just paid to give the RabAvert a try elsewhere after the first round went badly. Things are improving, but I'm still having issues, and I had my third vaccine in late October.

I figured I'd post here since I got my first in the series this morning. got lucky & my insurance I'm currently on covers the series ($30 copay for each shot, so they told me). My employer is changing insurance in the next couple months, so I needed to get the ball rolling ASAP!

My Dr's (GP) office ordered them for me, and I got the firstdose of RabAvert today around 10am. The shot itself was fine (HPV and Tetanus are WAAAAAAAY worse!), and I was feeling normal until about 1PM, at which point I just got a bit fuzzy-brained and tired. Luckily, I was able to leave work around 2. I went home, got into some cozy clothes, and slept from about 3 til 8. So far, just the exhaustion as a side effect. I'll try to remember to post next week after #2!

I dont remember which one I got, but I had the series of 3 shots about 2 years ago before I did an internship in Central America. I got the first shot, followed by the second and third at I think 1 week intervals, maybe 2 weeks. Not quite sure. I got the shots at the UCLA Student Health Center, which is what the UC Davis health center recommended since I wasn't able to start the series there and finish it as I went home for the summer.

They had no problems as far as acquiring it.. I scheduled an appointment and went right in, and it didn't hurt. No soreness either, and no side effects. It was the easiest, most painless vaccine series I have ever received. I am hoping to get a titer soon and not have to shell out another $500 for a new series.

I was able to get it at the University because I was a UC Student, and through the referral it was easy to get it at UCLA, just more expensive. So if anyone is having trouble, this could be an option (at least for california students in the UC system)

Originally Posted by NordiCat

I figured I'd post here since I got my first in the series this morning. got lucky & my insurance I'm currently on covers the series ($30 copay for each shot, so they told me). My employer is changing insurance in the next couple months, so I needed to get the ball rolling ASAP!

My Dr's (GP) office ordered them for me, and I got the firstdose of RabAvert today around 10am. The shot itself was fine (HPV and Tetanus are WAAAAAAAY worse!), and I was feeling normal until about 1PM, at which point I just got a bit fuzzy-brained and tired. Luckily, I was able to leave work around 2. I went home, got into some cozy clothes, and slept from about 3 til 8. So far, just the exhaustion as a side effect. I'll try to remember to post next week after #2!

My insurance covered it for $30 each as well. I had to talk to multiple people at my insurance company to convince them I needed it. The first person flat out said no, I waited a few days and called again but that person didn't know so they had someone call me back and that person said if I got a doctor's approval then they would cover it. Lesson learned: keep trying to bug them and talk to multiple people. We are practically the only people that need this shot so nobody knows what the rules are

Just wanted to let y'all know that I have had 2 out of the 3 in the series, both Imovax, and other than some slight soreness in my arm and maybe some fatigue (I took a nap afterward), I was fine. Honestly, I barely felt the injection at all, though my nurse was probably just extremely good at her job

As far as paying goes, my insurance will not cover it (military insurance...). So I had to dish out the money to pay for it. I did get lucky in that my undergrad university health center offered it and had a ready supply available, due to our research facilities.

I should be getting my last in the series this week so I'll let y'all know if the third one gives me any problems.

Originally Posted by Wildlife woman

My insurance covered it for $30 each as well. I had to talk to multiple people at my insurance company to convince them I needed it. The first person flat out said no, I waited a few days and called again but that person didn't know so they had someone call me back and that person said if I got a doctor's approval then they would cover it. Lesson learned: keep trying to bug them and talk to multiple people. We are practically the only people that need this shot so nobody knows what the rules are

When I got mine last year, I just told my doctor that I work with wildlife and some of those are rabies vectors. She approved my shots. Insurance covered it. Oh and only side effect was being tired after the 1st shot.

I had the Rabavert series at my undergrad's health center. I had (and know two others with similar experiences) a pretty rough time with the second one. I woke up the next morning sore all over and running a slight fever. I took some Ibuprofen and was okay by the next day but I would recommend taking a pain killer just as a precaution even.

I just finished my series. I had RabAvert. The main side-effect I had was a sore arm. After the 2nd shot I got a couple headaches and a stomach ache. But I think it was mostly due to and hour on the treadmill followed by a dry sauna the same day of the vaccination. And then, the next day I decided to go to an amusement park. All in all, it wasn't so bad. The only thing that bothered me was the price. I payed almost $700 for the doses and administration. And for me, it looks like none of it is covered by insurance.

I had RabAvert, the first one burned going in, and my entire arm hurt for a day or two, but the next two it hurt less each time. I got mine from student health, they were $200 a shot, since it's not covered by my insurance, but it was cheaper than going to a clinic versus student health.

Anyone else have their Doc tell them they could only do the third one on EXACTLY the 21st or 28th day? Mine made a big deal about it (after I drove an hour to get there since they said I could come in that day... ). My (admittedly very basic) understanding of immunity and vaccines would say that anywhere between those two dates would be okay, but apparently I'm mistaken?

Originally Posted by NordiCat

Anyone else have their Doc tell them they could only do the third one on EXACTLY the 21st or 28th day? Mine made a big deal about it (after I drove an hour to get there since they said I could come in that day... ). My (admittedly very basic) understanding of immunity and vaccines would say that anywhere between those two dates would be okay, but apparently I'm mistaken?

This is the way the vaccine has to be given, at 7, 14 and then 21 or 28 because of the immune response to the vaccine, this provides optimum antibody production and the best protection against rabies.

Just wanted to let y'all know that I completed the series and I was given Imovax. At the most, my arm was sore for a while and I got kinda fatigued, but that was it. My undergrad health center offered the vaccine, but I had to pay like $245 per shot and my insurance did NOT cover it But at least it's done and I can relax about it.

Originally Posted by futurevet7

This is the way the vaccine has to be given, at 7, 14 and then 21 or 28 because of the immune response to the vaccine, this provides optimum antibody production and the best protection against rabies.

It's Day 0, Day 7, and Day 21 or Day 28...no Day 14. At least, not with RabAvert. Not sure about ImoVax.

Originally Posted by NordiCat

It's Day 0, Day 7, and Day 21 or Day 28...no Day 14. At least, not with RabAvert. Not sure about ImoVax.

Ok, so immunology was last semester, so obviously most of it is gone for me, but it doesn't make sense that it would be day 21 OR 28. AB production doesn't work like that, at least not as far as I know.

Originally Posted by Packen

Ok, so immunology was last semester, so obviously most of it is gone for me, but it doesn't make sense that it would be day 21 OR 28. AB production doesn't work like that, at least not as far as I know.

Right? That's what I thought, and my Bio teacher husband thought the same as well.Oh well, if my Dr.'s office insists it has to be exactly on day 21 or 28 and not in between, then I'll let them be sticklers about it.

Hey Nordi, I sent you a PM two days ago, just wondering if you got it.

Sorry guys I had a typo there, I meant to say day 0 then 7 and either 21 or 28. I've taken several immunology classes and I believe the last shot is to boost your immune response even more, as that is when antibody production begins to slow down.

Originally Posted by NordiCat

It's Day 0, Day 7, and Day 21 or Day 28...no Day 14. At least, not with RabAvert. Not sure about ImoVax.

With the Imovax I got, it was Day 0, Day 7 (exactly one week apart) and then anywhere from Day 21-Day 28. It didn't matter when I got it as long as it was within that time frame. At least that's what the doc said.

Originally Posted by zanydogz

With the Imovax I got, it was Day 0, Day 7 (exactly one week apart) and then anywhere from Day 21-Day 28. It didn't matter when I got it as long as it was within that time frame. At least that's what the doc said.

Yeah, that's what I thought made sense...anywhere between Day 21 and Day 28! But they wouldn't give it to me on Day 22. Lame.

(and yes Packen, got your PM )

Originally Posted by NordiCat

Yeah, that's what I thought made sense...anywhere between Day 21 and Day 28! But they wouldn't give it to me on Day 22. Lame.

It's probably because that's how it's labeled:

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Biologi.../UCM133484.pdf

From the immunological standpoint, no, it's probably not relevant that it's on day 21 OR 28. Your doctor is probably just sticking with the label. Which appears to be based off a CDC recommendation. Which, I'd guess, was based on studies/tests that used day-1,7,21 and day-1,7,28 protocols. Just a guess, though.

Originally Posted by LetItSnow

It's probably because that's how it's labeled:

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Biologi.../UCM133484.pdf

From the immunological standpoint, no, it's probably not relevant that it's on day 21 OR 28. Your doctor is probably just sticking with the label. Which appears to be based off a CDC recommendation. Which, I'd guess, was based on studies/tests that used day-1,7,21 and day-1,7,28 protocols. Just a guess, though.

I was sick for 2nd dose, and they just gave it to me a week later at Penn. They weren't too concern.

Of course the companies study the average time to get peak effectiveness, but that will vary on the individual anyway. Kind of crazy to think it is an EXACT day, but maybe that have legal concerns like everyone else in human med.