Rabies pre-exposure vaccination in London
Rabies is one of the most uniformly fatal viral diseases in untreated patients — but it is preventable. The pre-exposure vaccine course gives durable protection and dramatically simplifies post-exposure treatment if you do get bitten or scratched by a potentially rabid animal abroad.
At City Of London Clinic we provide pharmacist-led rabies pre-exposure vaccinations. The standard schedule is three doses over 21 days. Every appointment is led by Asad Repon, a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber.
Who should consider Rabies pre-exposure
- Rural travellers in Asia, Africa or Latin America — where post-exposure treatment may be hours or days away. Particularly relevant for India and Pakistan travellers.
- People working with animals — vets, conservationists, wildlife researchers, sanctuary volunteers.
- Cyclists and motorcyclists touring overseas — falls and stray dog encounters are common.
- Expat employees relocating to rabies-endemic countries — see our expat employee travel guide.
- Long-stay backpackers spending months in rural areas.
- Children travelling with parents — they're at higher risk of unrecognised exposure (touching animals, not reporting bites).
- Healthcare workers doing aid or volunteer work involving potential rabies-affected animal contact.
The pre-exposure schedule
Standard schedule is three doses over 21 days: day 0, day 7, day 21. Some travellers with very limited time can use an accelerated 2-dose schedule over 7 days — protection at completion is good though not quite as durable. We'll discuss what suits your timeline at the appointment.
Why pre-exposure matters — even though you still need post-exposure treatment
This catches people out. If you've completed pre-exposure vaccination, you'll still need post-exposure doses if you're bitten or scratched abroad — but only two further doses, and crucially, no rabies immunoglobulin.
The unvaccinated traveller needs four to five post-exposure doses plus rabies immunoglobulin (RIG). RIG is unavailable in many rural areas of rabies-endemic countries, which can mean evacuation to a major city or even repatriation to get treatment. Pre-exposure removes this risk — you can complete post-exposure treatment with just the vaccine, which is widely available.
What to do if you're bitten or scratched abroad
- Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water for at least 15 minutes — this alone significantly reduces risk.
- Apply an antiseptic if available.
- Seek medical care immediately. The first post-exposure dose should ideally be given within 24 hours.
- If you've completed pre-exposure, you need 2 post-exposure doses; if not, 4-5 doses plus immunoglobulin.
- Don't suture the wound until rabies treatment has begun.
We'll go through this in detail at your appointment and provide a written summary you can take with you.
Family appointments
Children are at higher risk of unrecognised rabies exposure — they may touch or play with animals and not report it. For families travelling to rural Asia or Africa, vaccinating children alongside parents is often recommended. We can vaccinate families in back-to-back appointments. Often combined with Yellow Fever for African travel or Hepatitis B for longer stays.
Side effects
Mild soreness at the injection site is common. Headache and low-grade fever can occur. Serious reactions are rare. The course is well-tolerated.
How to book
Call 020 7253 9691 or visit cityoflondonclinic.co.uk/booking. Plan the first appointment 3-4 weeks before departure to complete the full course. We're at 36 Goswell Rd., Golden Lane Estate, London EC1M 7AA — 4 minutes from Barbican station.
