What to do if bitten or scratched by a wild monkey in Da Nang, Vietnam (rabies vaccine)?

From messages by 6 participants in 2 sources · Last activity: 81 days ago

TL;DR

If a monkey bites or scratches you, go to a hospital immediately for the first rabies vaccine dose — it must be given within 2-3 weeks, since rabies is fatal in 100% of untreated cases.

What the community said

Live and inactivated vaccines can be given the same day, but two live vaccines cannot be combined. DTP (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) is one shot, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) is another — these two combo shots can be done together.

Rabies has no cure and is almost always fatal, so vaccination must start within 2-3 weeks of contact with the animal. If you can monitor the animal's condition, a full vaccine course may not always be necessary, but check the exact protocol locally in Vietnam.

After a bite or scratch from a wild monkey, go straight to a hospital — they will administer the first rabies vaccine dose there.

First rabies vaccine dose

Even if there are no bite marks and only scratches from the monkey jumping on you, there's still a risk — monkeys lick their paws, so saliva can get on your skin. Not all monkeys carry rabies, but it's safer to get vaccinated anyway.