Ms. Nguyen Thi Tien (70 years old, residing on Vo Thi Lieu street, An Phu Dong ward, Ho Chi Minh City) was suddenly bitten by a small dog in an acquaintance's house, the wound bled quite a lot. Initially, she intended not to get vaccinated but heard neighbors warn of the risk of rabies, she decided to go to the hospital.
Suffering from many underlying diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver... Ms. Tien could not help but worry. "There are many diseases, so hearing about injections is very scary," she shared when recalling the previous injection when she had a high fever.
However, after being examined and consulted by a doctor, she felt more secure because underlying diseases are not contraindicated. Ms. Tien will get all 5 injections according to the protocol, and the next injections are planned to be performed near her house for convenient travel. "Fearful is scary, but let's try to get vaccinated to feel secure," Ms. Tien said.
Mr. Hoang Hong Hai (76 years old, An Khanh ward, Ho Chi Minh City) has not forgotten the feeling of fear when he was bitten by a dog on the 6th day of Tet, while going to wish friends a happy new year.
The pet dog in the house ran out and bit, bleeding. At that time, my psychology was very confused," Mr. Hai recounted. Although it was a domestic dog and had been vaccinated, the vaccination book was almost expired, making the family even more worried.
Immediately after first aid on the spot, Mr. Hai went to the hospital within a few hours. After many injections, Mr. Hai's health has now stabilized. The dog is still healthy, but Mr. Hai believes that vaccination is necessary. "Even if there is only bleeding, you must get vaccinated. Don't be subjective, both worry about yourself and worry about your whole family," Mr. Hai shared.
BS.CKI Dinh Van Thoi - Deputy Head of the General Clinic, Pasteur Institute HCMC - said that during and after Tet, the number of people coming for vaccination increased sharply, especially rabies vaccine.
According to statistics, the number of rabies vaccination visits has increased about 4-5 times compared to normal days. If previously there were only a few dozen cases per day, after Tet, more than 100 visits/day were recorded. The main reason is that people travel and visit a lot, increasing cases of dog and cat bites.
Currently, the clinic always ensures a full supply of vaccines, people do not need to worry about drug shortages," Dr. Thoi affirmed.
The doctor emphasized that rabies does not have a cure, and when it develops, the mortality rate is almost 100%. Therefore, as soon as people are bitten or scratched by dogs or cats, they need to go to a medical facility for advice and early vaccination, on schedule, with sufficient doses. "Don't hesitate because this is a particularly dangerous disease, which can only be prevented with vaccines," Dr. Thoi recommended.
