Our dogs and cats get yearly rabies shots, where I live its free and the government even sets up a mobile clinic in our neighborhood. One shot lasts them a year and doesn’t seem to have any negative side effects. Why can’t humans get a similar shot when we go in for our flu shot?
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You can get one and if you are traveling into an area where rabies is common, you should. I got bit by a rabid dog when working in Honduras and it was not exactly a fun experience.
Even if you’re vaccinated you’ll still have to get a series of shots if you’re bitten, but it buys you more time and you won’t have to get an immunoglobulin injection directly into the bite site (which is what I had to do). Getting immunoglobulin and the vaccine after a bite isn’t a big problem in the US or Europe, but it is a major challenge in certain countries.
The cost (it was >$500 20 years ago) and the fact that treatment is easily available in developed health systems means it’s not common to vaccinate preemptively.
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