Cost differences between complete and incomplete post-exposure courses of rabies vaccination.

Courses of post-exposure rabies vaccination in clinical practice are often not administered completely. If suspected animals are still alive after 10 days of observation, full post-exposure vaccination will usually be withheld from bite victims. In this study, we compared the cost differences between complete and incomplete courses of post-exposure rabies vaccination. The cost calculations were based on the principle that all patients will have at least one more animal bite in the future. Costs were compared between patients who received post-exposure rabies vaccination and if they completed or did not complete the vaccine regimen. In this study, 46.7% of 372 patients completed the full course of five doses of the rabies vaccine. Based on the study rationale, complete vaccination would save nation budget 224,700 Baht for WHO wound category 2, 801,474 Baht for WHO wound category 3 with equine rabies immunoglobulin treatment, and 2,618,916 Baht for WHO wound category 3 with human rabies immunoglobulin treatment. Physicians should encourage complete courses of post-exposure rabies vaccination to save further costs from animal bites in the future.