5.3.3. Human component

Health-care personnel (medical and nursing staff)
Health care personnel should be trained in:
 Correct assessment of what constitutes a rabies exposure (in relation to the clinical history of animal exposure). This will be important to ensure that unnecessary use of costly vaccine does not occur.
 When administration of anti-rabies serum/rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) and anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) is appropriate, as described here and here.
 Provide appropriate medical advice to affected individuals.
 Importance and correct methods of management of animal-bite injuries, as described here and here.
 Current WHO recommended human vaccines listed here.
 Storage (including duration of vaccine storage after reconstitution) and transportation of vaccine.
 Administration of RIGs and intramuscular and less expensive intradermal regimens for administration of vaccine.
 Treatment of adverse reactions to vaccination.
 Patient care.
 Accurate recording of hospital data (e.g. animal-bite injury data, human rabies deaths, vaccine doses delivered) and reporting to relevant government bodies (these may vary between countries).
 Collection of human diagnostic samples, described here.
 Legislation, including notification. Read also here to learn about legislative frameworks.
 Need for exchange of information between human and animal health sector (e.g. monitoring of biting animals).