The rabies vaccine offered at Your Community Pharmacy is the pre-exposure course: doses you have before a trip or job that could bring you into contact with an infected animal. It suits travellers heading to countries where rabies is present and people in Australia who handle bats. In NSW a pharmacist can give it from age 5, without an appointment. It is not treatment after a bite or scratch. That needs urgent hospital care, explained further down this page.
Rabies overseas and bat lyssavirus at home
Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, which is why prevention and fast treatment matter so much. Australia is free of rabies itself, but bats here can carry Australian bat lyssavirus, a closely related virus. Do not touch bats anywhere in the world, including in Australia, even if one looks injured or sick. Overseas, avoid contact with stray animals.
Who the pre-exposure rabies vaccine suits
- Travellers to countries where rabies is found.
- Bat handlers, and anyone whose work or volunteering involves touching bats.
Under the NSW Health vaccine eligibility rules, pharmacists may give rabies vaccine as pre-exposure prophylaxis only, to people who are not immunocompromised. Children under 5, and anyone with a weakened immune system, should see their GP.
Your rabies vaccination at the pharmacy
For most healthy people the Immunisation Handbook recommends two doses given a week apart, on day 0 and day 7, so plan both visits before your departure date. After checking your health and current medicines, the pharmacist gives each dose in the private consultation area and records it. NSW rules require the pharmacist to explain rabies first aid, so you know exactly what to do after any bite or scratch.
The vaccine is privately funded at pharmacies in NSW, so there is a cost. Ask the pharmacist about price before your first dose or call (02) 9999 1186. It often sits alongside other travel vaccines such as hepatitis A, Japanese encephalitis and the flu vaccine, which can be planned in the same visit. Parts of Africa and South America may also call for yellow fever vaccination, which only approved clinics give. Keep a record of your rabies doses with your travel documents.
If you are bitten or scratched
Treat any bite or scratch from a bat, or from a mammal overseas, as an emergency rather than a pharmacy visit.
- Wash the wound straight away with soap and water for 15 minutes.
- Apply an antiseptic such as povidone-iodine if you have one.
- Go to a hospital straight away, in Australia or overseas, and tell staff which animal was involved.
Post-exposure treatment is given through hospitals and doctors, not pharmacies. Healthdirect notes that people who have never been vaccinated need rabies immunoglobulin plus four or five vaccine doses over a month, so having the pre-exposure course first makes that treatment simpler. If someone is seriously hurt, call 000.
Common questions
Do I need the rabies vaccine for a short holiday?
It depends on the destination, your activities and how far you will be from medical care. The pharmacist weighs those factors with you; Smartraveller destination pages are a useful starting point.
Does having the vaccine mean I can skip treatment after a bite?
No. Vaccinated people still need prompt medical care after an exposure, but they need fewer doses and no immunoglobulin.
Can my 4-year-old have the rabies vaccine here?
No. Pharmacists in NSW give it from age 5, so a GP or travel doctor needs to see younger children.
Where else can I get travel health help?
Every vaccine we give is on the walk-in vaccinations page, and our travel vaccine article explains what pharmacists can do. For anything else, get in touch or browse our health services. General questions are answered in our FAQs.