Rabies vaccination series

[der2002]

Is anyone going to get the three part prophylactic rabies vaccine before they start vet school this fall?

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[HopefulAg]

Yup, it's required by the school. Trying to find a way to get insurance to cover it.

 

[DVMDream]

Well, if I get off the waitlist I am planning on checking into it. It just depends on whether or not my insurance will cover it and how much of it they will cover. If it is cheaper with my health insurance then I will probably have the series finished before vet school starts but if it is cheaper to get it done at the school then I will do it there.

 

[psjlg2]

I got mine, they were not bad at all (besides the expense). WAAAAYYY less painful than my tetanus shot.

I got a "deal" on my shots but they were still $200 each so I don't know what kind of crappy deal that was but oh well.

I got the RabAVert chicken embryo series of 3 vaccinations from Novartis. It was really easy did not hurt at all unless you are afraid of needles (and why you would be afraid of needles and go into vet med, I have no idea )

 

[ILprevet]

I was lucky enough to get my work to pay for them- I work in a diagnostic lab at school where we may be exposed to rabies so the school paid for it. Just something to look into for those of you that might be working in similar labs!

 

[eventualeventer]

I got mine, they were not bad at all (besides the expense). WAAAAYYY less painful than my tetanus shot.

I got a "deal" on my shots but they were still $200 each so I don't know what kind of crappy deal that was but oh well.

I got the RabAVert chicken embryo series of 3 vaccinations from Novartis. It was really easy did not hurt at all unless you are afraid of needles (and why you would be afraid of needles and go into vet med, I have no idea )

I'm weird and like to watch when someone is poking me with a needle, but some people are fine with needles only if they are not on the sharp end.

I felt a little crappy and flu-like the day after each of mine, but it was pretty mild. I don't know what brand it was, but the shots were bright purple, like this. They pulled blood at work for a titer anyway, so I should know soon whether I need more Vitamin Purple.

 

[der2002]

I was told that the vaccine series costs ~$530 so I will definitely see if my insurance might cover it. If I wait until I start vet school, does student health cover the expense? I guess I need to call them...

 

[nyanko]

I was lucky enough to get my work to pay for them- I work in a diagnostic lab at school where we may be exposed to rabies so the school paid for it. Just something to look into for those of you that might be working in similar labs!

Same here! I was especially grateful for this when I looked at the estimate for the cost of the vaccinations earlier today.

 

[sumstorm]

I had mine done at the health department at ~$186/shot. It made me really sick, but I am known to have vaccine reactions. It was ~$190 at the school. We aren't required to have them, but we can't participate in a lot of stuff otherwise.

 

[HandD42]

Yep! Started my series last week, have shot #2 this week. Am so thankful my work insurance covers it (apparently it just falls under the broad 'Immunization' umbrella so I pay $0 out of pocket). I am trying to get most of my major health stuff out of the way before I have to leave work and lose my great insurance.

Really thankful I am not stuck paying $500 out of pocket for it in addition to super crazy OOS tuition.

Any non trads out there like me, check if you current insurance will cover it first, I was pleasantly surprised by my own coverage

 

[GellaBella]

I called my health insurance company (Aetna - but it's a student health insurance policy) and they told me they would not cover it

I wanted to get it done before heading down to penn just because I've heard that it does knock some people out and I didn't want to deal with feeling ****ty the first few weeks of school.

Apparently the PennVet health insurance does cover it though and you can sign up during orientation for times to go get your shots taken care of so I guess thats what I'll end up doing.

 

[clouds815]

this thread is making me very nervous. I am one of those of is Terrified of needles/vaccines - Coming at me that is. fine going the other way.

is it like a 'typical vaccine' like hpv or hep (ie small needle, quick + small amount of fluid, little or no reaction, in the arm)? or is it a serious shot w/ large reaction?

 

[lalzi22]

this thread is making me very nervous. I am one of those of is Terrified of needles/vaccines - Coming at me that is. fine going the other way.

Ditto. I'm the 22 year old who still goes to the pediatrician and cries before the doctor even enters the room. Its sad...and yet SO SCARY.

 

[turnandburn]

The shots themselves I didn't find painful at all but I did get flu like symptoms after the second shot- fever, chills, etc, lasted less than 24 hours but other than that was ok.

 

[HandD42]

Just got my first shot last week and it was brief and pretty painless. Had no symptoms afterwards and didn't even have soreness at the injection site. Of course I did go riding immediately afterward so maybe all that use was a positive thing?

Of course I am that person who has never had any sort of vaccine reaction.

 

[zeebra44]

Hmm..so how can you find out if your work will cover it? Did you just talk to your boss about it? I work at a Health Science Center in a research lab, so I might be able to get away with that.

 

[HandD42]

Hmm..so how can you find out if your work will cover it? Did you just talk to your boss about it? I work at a Health Science Center in a research lab, so I might be able to get away with that.

Do you have an employee health department? I work at a hospital and our EH can actually give vaccines there (although not rabies as far as I know). Your boss may know or HR would be my next stop.

Otherwise if you have health insurance call up the 1-800 number on the back of your card (be prepared to stay on hold FOREVER) and see if your coverage includes rabies vaccinations.

 

[fierymicky]

Hmm..so how can you find out if your work will cover it? Did you just talk to your boss about it? I work at a Health Science Center in a research lab, so I might be able to get away with that.

I would say either talk to the person in charge of insurance policies at work, or call the insurance company directly.

I got lucky, mine was covered under "preventative health care," so ask about that if it doesn't fall under "immunizations." Also, they let me get them wherever, and just reimbursed me the cost for it.

And...sometimes the local health department will have them for cheaper than through your regular doctor or a international/travel health clinic.

 

[Veracosa]

I had to get the series for vet tech school in 2004.
After the second booster, two days later I broke out into hives. And those hives lasted for about two months.
I went back to the doctor that does the rabies immunizations, and she said "no way" was she going to give me another one, and that if I wanted it, she could give it to me to take to the ER so they could rescue me if I went into anaphylaxis!!! Apparently an allergy to the adjuvent is not unheard of.

So I am concerned if they are going to give me crap at VMRCVM about it (starting this fall). I mean, I guess I can do the whole benadryl/ER route, but I'd rather not if I don't have to!

 

[GellaBella]

I had to get the series for vet tech school in 2004.
After the second booster, two days later I broke out into hives. And those hives lasted for about two months.
I went back to the doctor that does the rabies immunizations, and she said "no way" was she going to give me another one, and that if I wanted it, she could give it to me to take to the ER so they could rescue me if I went into anaphylaxis!!! Apparently an allergy to the adjuvent is not unheard of.

So I am concerned if they are going to give me crap at VMRCVM about it (starting this fall). I mean, I guess I can do the whole benadryl/ER route, but I'd rather not if I don't have to!

Maybe you can get the titre done instead. If your antibody titre is high enough then you won't need to get another dose. Not sure what happens later when your titre drops though

 

[BlacKAT33]

Ive had the shots about 4-5 yrs ago and i just recently had the booster last year. No side effects that i can remember. Maybe a sore arm? but i never have any side effects from vaccines except for maybe a sore arm. My insurance didnt cover it, i have blue cross blue shield. it may have been the place that i was going to though. They said they dont take anyones insurance at all, ever. oh well, that money is long gone and i dont feel the effect of it anymore lol

 

[that redhead]

I had my shots...5 years ago when I started working at a vet clinic and had a titer done two years ago when I started working with bats. I ended up paying for the three myself (~$200/each!) but I'm really glad I have them! It's opened up some opportunities for me to work with rabies vectors species and that's exciting.

I did get really, really sick after my second shot, though. Just a potential heads up

Edited to add: The shot is like a normal shot each time, at least mine were. I literally did not feel the last shot (think I was distracted talking to the nurse or whatever). The shots themselves were not painful, it was the after-effects that got to me.

 

[silymnd]

Does anybody know if Western College of Veterinary Medicine covers the cost of vaccination? I know OVC of Guelph does. I want to go on an international volunteer trip to Central America and they require rabies vaccination. If WCVM doesn't cover it, I might as well get my shots and go on the trip, and then if I'm so lucky to get accepted in WCVM then I'm all set. But if they do cover, it won't make sense for me to get my shots, go volunteer, and then end up attending WCVM in Sept where I could have saved 600 bucks!
Man, why does canine/feline vaccinations so much cheaper! Maybe I should just get my vet to do it for me... OR pretend to get bitten and get free (?) post-exposure shots.

 

[absvet]

Wow - maybe I'm just some kind of huge baby, but I did think they hurt! I was able to get them through work because we use a modified rabies virus as a neuron tracer. I thought they hurt way more than tetanus! But I had no bad reactions otherwise, just a very sore arm.

 

[PigsRock]

So I am concerned if they are going to give me crap at VMRCVM about it (starting this fall). I mean, I guess I can do the whole benadryl/ER route, but I'd rather not if I don't have to!

I think you can sign a waiver if you choose not to get vaccinated for medical/religious/other reasons. Last year, the first-years could get their shots through the school. Some of them were getting the last one when I had my interview. But, I think you might have to get them done before class this year... I'm not sure.

 

[cowgirla]

Wow, my insurance said they'll cover it. I'm actually surprised....when I asked about getting it just for a job a few years ago, they said no. Apparently the piece of paper from the school saying it's required changed their minds. (Anthem Blue Cross).

My doctor's ordering mine, and I'll be starting soon.

This is going to be fun....I could care less about needles, but have a feeling the vaccine itself will make me feel like crap. I can't even get a flu shot without feeling sick for a week.

 

[squeegee]

I second the temporary flu-like feelings after the second shot...not so bad that it put me out of commission or anything but I definitely didn't feel like doing much that night.

As far as the pain, it's just like any other IM vaccine, except the second one hurt a lot more for me because the person who did it apparently used the needle that comes with the vaccine (Rabavert) and it's a bigger gauge than a standard syringe...to the point where she thought it was too big and told me to remind her to use a different one for the third vaccine

Not sure about other schools but at CSU the school health insurance does not cover it, but if you get insurance through AVMA GHLIT it reduces your cost of $293/shot to $50/shot. Bonus points for not having to go to the doctor for a physical or rxrx, if you go to a Walgreens with one of those clinics inside the pharmacist does it for you.

 

[Vet Engineer]

I live in Dallas and the cheapest I found it for was $185 per shot at the Dallas Health Department. They get you in and out quickly too, way faster than a doctor's office.

I called my insurance company and they said they would cover them if I needed them for travel, but not if I needed them for work or school. I don't understand how that makes sense. Plus I would still have to meet my deductible, which is $500. Oh well!

I don't know about elsewhere, but you have to finish the series before August 1st for A&M. There are no permissible exceptions.

 

[der2002]

thanks for all the helpful info, guys. I'm calling my health insurer (anthem blue cross) first thing tomorrow to see if it's covered. If not, I'll probably just buy the series for $530 (!) at my current school along with some of my pre-vet classmates.

a caveat: if I end up going to u of edinburgh, it should be covered by the national heath service, right? i have to check this all out...

 

[parietal]

Also, check with your school to see what deals they offer.

I'm pretty sure Minnesota's student-health insurance covers the series, so if you chose to go with that, you wouldn't have to pay anything out of pocket...

 

[Mereafterthough]

I got my rabies vacc about 3-4 years ago. Do I need to get a titer done?

 

[DVMDream]

I got my rabies vacc about 3-4 years ago. Do I need to get a titer done?

I am not sure what the number of years is before you need a titer. I would just call the school and ask.

I know if I get off the waitlist at Western that I have to get a varicella titer. I did not get the vaccine because I had chicken pox when I was really little and later got shingles as a pre-teen.

 

[HopefulAg]

I called my insurance company and they said they would cover them if I needed them for travel,

Out of curiosity, who is your provider? Blue Cross Blue Shield by chance?

Why not just tell them you're traveling? As a rather helpful individual suggested to myself, just tell them you're going on the VIDA trip or something.



Edit: Bwahahha this is post number 1,234. Excellent.

 

[david594]

I got my rabies vacc about 3-4 years ago. Do I need to get a titer done?

You will at some point. Contact cornell and see if they need it before matriculation, or just before you start clinicals.

Titers are supposed to be done every 2 years in rabies endemic areas.

 

[rugbychick16]

If it helps (I just finally got mine this past summer), my insurance (blue cross blue shield), said they would absolutely not cover the pre-exposure shot series. So my parents agreed to help me out paying for them, and I just paid up front for all of them at the time of the first shot.

....Then several weeks later I got a refund check in the mail, as the clinic had went ahead and filed the claim for insurance anyway. And for some reason, BCBS decided they would cover about 2/3 of the total. It was a nice suprise, so I didn't ask questions. But it might be worth a try for any of you.

 

[Sunburntcheetah]

Check with your schools prior to getting your shots. Davis has vaccine clinics scheduled into your first year schedule, with the cost only about $150 for all 3. They also schedule a titer check during your third year to make sure you're up to snuff before clinics. Other schools might have similar programs.

 

[altaira3]

The AVMA student insurance will cover rabies vaccines. Unfortunately, they decided to cover them after I had already chosen a different carrier and gotten the shots. But I think that the price difference between the two plans worked out so that it was actually cheaper that way anyway.

 

[HopefulAg]

How long does it take to process all the paperwork required to join and get the student insurance?


Also on a side note, you have to have a passport to join the SAVMA? From the application form "All Student Associate Membership applications must include a photocopy of student’s passport indicating country of citizenship."

 

[nyanko]

Check with your schools prior to getting your shots. Davis has vaccine clinics scheduled into your first year schedule, with the cost only about $150 for all 3.

Actually, it was $315 with SHIP insurance last year. I'm sure this year will be more.

 

[LVT2DVM]

The AVMA student insurance will cover rabies vaccines. Unfortunately, they decided to cover them after I had already chosen a different carrier and gotten the shots. But I think that the price difference between the two plans worked out so that it was actually cheaper that way anyway.

Double check on that because our Georgia AVMA insurance rep looked in to it for me and they WOULD NOT cover rabies vaccines. For anyone going to UGA, RV are required by the end of the first semester and the university health center does them for $105 each. Best price around Athens unless you private insurance covers it.

 

[168135]

Reading about people's reactions to the vaccine reminded of how bad the H1N1 vaccine was

 

[der2002]

just found this online:

http://www.medscape.com/druginfo/mo...ugname=RabAvert+IM&monotype=monograph&secid=3

 

[Tobysgirl81]

Got my rabies vaccines back in 2002 when I started work at a research facility and (thankfully) it was covered by UC Davis. In 2007 when I had my titre pulled for work it was covered by VMRCVM and I was still good. I'll probably get it pulled again this summer before school to check, and hopefully won't have to get a booster. Those suckers are expensive!

 

[Veracosa]

Sadly my titer the next year was zero! (after 2 vaccines...weird!)

I will probably do a waiver, although I hate this because I am interested in wildlife, and this will really get in my way/increase my risk significantly.

Maybe you can get the titre done instead. If your antibody titre is high enough then you won't need to get another dose. Not sure what happens later when your titre drops though

 

[squeegee]

Sadly my titer the next year was zero! (after 2 vaccines...weird!)

I will probably do a waiver, although I hate this because I am interested in wildlife, and this will really get in my way/increase my risk significantly.

is it possible that they use different adjuvants in the different manufactured rabies vaccines? i know it's hard to get that kind of information out of drug companies but maybe if they do use different ones you can find out which one you were vaccinated with and try another type?

 

[Vet Engineer]

Out of curiosity, who is your provider? Blue Cross Blue Shield by chance?

Why not just tell them you're traveling? As a rather helpful individual suggested to myself, just tell them you're going on the VIDA trip or something.



Edit: Bwahahha this is post number 1,234. Excellent.

No, my provider is Cigna. I'm going to say it's for travel, but even if they believe me, I still have to meet my $500 deductible, so I will only get about $100 back if I'm lucky.

I wish I could go on one of those VIDA trips!! I just can't justify spending that much money right before vet school.

 

[ColoradoDVM]

No, my provider is Cigna. I'm going to say it's for travel, but even if they believe me, I still have to meet my $500 deductible, so I will only get about $100 back if I'm lucky.

I wish I could go on one of those VIDA trips!! I just can't justify spending that much money right before vet school.

Kaiser Permanente also will not cover it if it is needed for work, school or travel. They are always happy to cash the $1000 check I send them every month though.
Series offered at school is my cheapest option. I checked out health departments in CO also.

 

[HopefulAg]

Man that really pisses me off about insurance companies not covering it if it's required. They know you have to have it so you'll pay for it out of pocket if necessary, and thus they save money.

Good business for the bottom line but ****ty ethics.

 

[cowgirla]

Man that really pisses me off about insurance companies not covering it if it's required. They know you have to have it so you'll pay for it out of pocket if necessary, and thus they save money.

Good business for the bottom line but ****ty ethics.

Switch to Anthem!
No questions asked, they gave me, in writing, a letter stating that pre-exposure rabies immunizations are covered. I called twice just to be sure, and asked the second person for the letter. They didn't even ask why until after I had the letter in my hand, and then the woman even said "just for my own curiousity" LOL

 

[HandD42]

Just got my second shot and so far no ill effects