Rabies Vaccine in Edinburgh

Medically reviewed by Emmanuel Ebube Umezulike, Superintendent Pharmacist, Avante Pharmacy (GPhC 2222671) on 1 October 2026 · Verify on the GPhC register · 5 min read

A course of the rabies vaccine before you travel is usually three doses given over 21 to 28 days, or a faster schedule if your trip comes up quickly, and it's available at all three of our Edinburgh branches — Westfield Road, Brougham Place and Murrayfield. Pre-exposure vaccination doesn't remove the need for urgent medical care if you're bitten or scratched abroad, but it simplifies and shortens the post-bite treatment you'd need.

Who is usually advised to have the rabies vaccine?

It's generally recommended if you're travelling somewhere rabies is common and you'd struggle to reach reliable medical care quickly, if you'll be doing outdoor activities that bring you close to animals, or if you're staying for more than a month. The NHS advises the vaccine for travellers heading somewhere it may be hard to get medical help quickly, anyone likely to come into contact with animals such as through cycling or running, and those staying over a month. Certain jobs also carry a recommendation regardless of travel, including laboratory staff working with the virus, vets, and people who handle wild bats.

Rabies is present on every continent except Antarctica, and NaTHNaC notes that most human deaths occur in the Asia and Africa regions, usually following a bite or scratch from an infected dog. In the UK, it's only found in a small number of wild bats. If you're not sure whether your destination or trip needs it, your pharmacist will check it against the TravelHealthPro country pages as part of your consultation.

What's the rabies vaccine schedule?

The standard pre-exposure course is three doses on day 0, day 7 and day 21 or 28. If you're travelling sooner than that, an accelerated schedule can be used instead. According to the UK Health Security Agency's Green Book chapter on rabies, an accelerated course may be given "if there is insufficient time before travel to complete" the standard course, and the NHS confirms doses can be compressed into 21 days, or sometimes 7 days, when time is tight. Which schedule suits you depends on how soon you're flying and your individual risk assessment, so book as early as you can — a full 28-day course gives the most flexibility.

Most travellers don't need a booster after completing the primary course. A one-off booster may be suggested if it's been over a year since your first course and you're heading somewhere rabies is a risk again; people at ongoing occupational risk may need boosters on a different, regular schedule.

We always ask about the trip itself, not just the destination — how remote you're going, what you'll be doing, and how soon you fly all change which schedule makes sense. — Emmanuel Ebube Umezulike, superintendent pharmacist

Is the rabies vaccine free on the NHS?

Not for travel purposes, in almost all cases. NHS inform's list of Scotland's free travel vaccines doesn't include rabies — it names diphtheria/polio/tetanus, hepatitis A, typhoid and cholera as free, and specifically states travellers are "likely" to have to pay for rabies. The NHS confirms this too, and adds one narrow exception: people who do voluntary work regularly handling wild bats in the UK may be able to get the vaccine free through their GP surgery. If your vaccine is needed for work rather than travel, ask your employer, since occupational vaccination is often organised and funded separately.

What should I do if I'm bitten or scratched abroad?

Get medical help straight away, even if you've been vaccinated and even if the wound looks minor — never wait until you're back in the UK. NaTHNaC's guidance is direct on this point: get urgent medical help, seek attention locally, and don't delay treatment until you're home. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water for several minutes as a first step, then find local medical care, because rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear but can be prevented with prompt treatment after exposure.

If you've read about the "is 7 days too late" question, the honest answer is that there's no safe deadline to wait for — every day of delay increases risk, and post-exposure treatment works best given as soon as possible after a bite. We've written more detail on this in our blog post on whether 7 days is too late for the rabies vaccine after a bite. If you've already been exposed, don't use this page as a substitute for care — seek help now, then read further once you're safe.

Having had the pre-exposure course before you travelled still matters here: it typically means you need two further doses after a bite rather than a longer course, and it removes the need for rabies immunoglobulin in many cases, which can be hard to source in some countries.

Which other vaccines are worth checking at the same time?

If rabies is recommended for your trip, it's often because you're heading somewhere remote or off the usual tourist track, which is also when other vaccines like Japanese encephalitis in Edinburgh come up in the same risk assessment. Your pharmacist will go through your full itinerary and only recommend what official guidance supports for that specific trip. If you're still working out where in Edinburgh to have it done, our guide to where to get the rabies vaccine in Edinburgh covers all three branches and how they differ.

Booking your rabies vaccine in Edinburgh

You can book at any of our three branches. Westfield Road travel clinic and Murrayfield travel clinic both take online bookings, and Brougham Place takes bookings by phone. Whichever branch suits you, tell us your departure date when you book so we can plan the right schedule — standard or accelerated — with enough time before you fly.