Delayed or Missed Anti-Rabies Vaccine : A Barrier in Eradication of Rabies

Abstract

Background: Achieving the goal of zero rabies deaths by 2030 requires 100% compliance with Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). PEP is administered over a month with multi ple doses, and adherence— both in terms of completi ng all doses and following the prescribed schedule—is a key component of the preventi on strategy.
Objective: To esti mate the proporti on of pati ents adhering to the anti - rabies vaccinati on schedule following an animal bite
Method: A descripti ve cross-secti onal design was used to collect data from pati ents receiving anti -rabies vaccinati ons at an animal bite clinic in a terti ary care hospital in North West Delhi. Data are presented as
the number and proporti on of pati ents, categorised by days since the bite. Pati ents were grouped into four categories for analysis: those who presented on the day of the bite up to two days later, on the third to
the sixth day, on the seventh to 27th day, and on or aft er the 28th day.
Results: All pati ents who visited on the day of the bite received their first dose. Among those presenti ng three to six days post-bite, 88.2% received two doses (as per schedule), while one pati ent had not received
any dose and another had taken only one dose. Of those presenting between seven and 27 days post-bite, 8.8% had received all four doses, 75% received three doses, and one pati ent received only two doses. Among those presenti ng on or aft er the 28th day, the majority (93.8%) had received all four doses; however, one pati ent had received only a single dose.
Conclusion: Patients who delayed or missed the doses were predominantly those scheduled for the second and third doses.