Most people don't need to get a rabies shot unless they're at higher risk for rabies exposure, or if they've recently been exposed to the virus. In North America, rabies deaths are very rare, and usually occur only when people are exposed to rabies and don't seek medical attention. If you've been exposed to rabies, medical treatment will almost always be successful as long as you don't wait a long time to see a doctor.
Advanced cases of rabies were once thought to be invariably fatal, although the
Milwaukee Protocol can sometimes be used to cure late-stage rabies by putting the patient in a medically-induced coma. (Some have disputed the effectiveness of the Milwaukee Protocol, but we still don't know too much about this recently-developed experimental treatment.)
The best way to prevent rabies is by staying away from wild animals and making sure that your pets (especially dogs) are vaccinated against rabies.
About rabies vaccines:
https://www.vaccines.gov/diseases/rabies/index.htmlAbout rabies in the United States:
https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/location/usa/index.html
Most people don't need to get a rabies shot unless they're at higher risk for rabies exposure, or if they've recently been exposed to the virus. In North America, rabies deaths are very rare, and usually occur only when people are exposed to rabies and don't seek medical attention. If you've been exposed to rabies, medical treatment will almost always be successful as long as you don't wait a long time to see a doctor.
Advanced cases of rabies were once thought to be invariably fatal, although the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_protocol]Milwaukee Protocol[/url] can sometimes be used to cure late-stage rabies by putting the patient in a medically-induced coma. (Some have disputed the effectiveness of the Milwaukee Protocol, but we still don't know too much about this recently-developed experimental treatment.)
The best way to prevent rabies is by staying away from wild animals and making sure that your pets (especially dogs) are vaccinated against rabies.
About rabies vaccines: https://www.vaccines.gov/diseases/rabies/index.html
About rabies in the United States: https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/location/usa/index.html