Rabies Vaccine, Injection

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KEY POINTS

• This medicine is given by injection to people at risk for rabies to protect against rabies infection.
• This medicine may cause unwanted side effects. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that are serious, continue, or get worse.
• Tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take.

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What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: vaccine

Generic and brand names: rabies vaccine, injection; Imovax Rabies; RabAvert

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is given by injection (shots) to protect against rabies infection. The vaccine can be given before or after you are exposed to the rabies virus.

You may be at risk for rabies if you:

• Are a veterinarian
• Work with animals
• Travel to a country where rabies is common

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before receiving this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• An allergic reaction to other vaccine shots or to any medicine
• A weakened immune system from cancer treatment, diseases such as HIV/AIDS, or from taking steroid medicines or medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection
• A bleeding disorder or take medicine that reduces the chance of blood clots forming
• Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Treatment for rabies in the past

Tell your healthcare provider if you currently have an infection or fever.

Females of childbearing age: Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this vaccine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while receiving this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

How do I use it?

These shots are given by your healthcare provider. You must receive several shots to be protected against rabies. If your risk of exposure continues, you may need booster shots. Keep all appointments for shots.

What should I watch out for?

You may have soreness, irritation, or pain on the skin where the injection is given. If this continues for more than a couple of days or becomes severe, call your healthcare provider.

If you need emergency care, surgery, lab tests, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you have received this medicine.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help.): Allergic reaction (hives, itching, rash, tightness in your chest, swelling of your lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing).

Serious (Report these to your healthcare provider right away.): High fever; severe muscle or joint pain, stiffness, or swelling; severe nausea or vomiting; severe tiredness or weakness; paralysis; severe headache or stiff neck; numbness in arms or legs; severe pain or draining from wound; irregular heartbeat; vision changes.

Other: Mild headache; dizziness; slight fever; mild nausea or stomach pain; swelling, soreness, or itching on your skin where the shot was given.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• Cancer medicines such as cisplatin, doxorubicin (Doxil), hydroxyurea (Droxia, Hydrea), vinblastine, and vincristine (Marqibo)
• Corticosteroids such as betamethasone, cortisone, dexamethasone, fludrocortisone, hydrocortisone (A-Hydrocort, Cortef), methylprednisolone (Medrol, Solu-Medrol), prednisolone (Omnipred, Orapred, Prelone), prednisone (Prednisone Intensol), and triamcinolone (Aristospan, Kenalog)
• Immunosuppressants such as azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran), cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune), mycophenolate (CellCept, Myfortic), sirolimus (Rapamune), and tacrolimus (Astagraf, Prograf, Protopic)
• Malaria medicines such as artemether/lumefantrine (Coartem), chloroquine, mefloquine, primaquine, and quinine
• Medicines to treat or prevent blood clots such as dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), fondaparinux (Arixtra), heparin, and warfarin (Coumadin)
• Medicines to treat psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other immune disorders such as adalimumab (Humira), anakinra (Kineret), certolizumab (Cimzia), etanercept (Enbrel), golimumab (Simponi), infliximab (Remicade), leflunomide (Arava), tocilizumab (Actemra), tofacitinib (Xeljanz), and ustekinumab (Stelara)
• Methotrexate (Otrexup, Rasuvo, Rheumatrex, Trexall)
• Multiple sclerosis medicines such as fingolimod (Gilenya), glatiramer (Copaxone), natalizumab (Tysabri), and teriflunomide (Aubagio)
• Radiation therapy

Keep a record of all vaccines received and when you received them.

If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

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This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.