4 ms·
with rabies, if you're infected with the virus, it doesn't become unstoppable deadly until it hits your central nervous system. At that point it's pretty much t
by southernplaces7 2y ago
with rabies, if you're infected with the virus, it doesn't become unstoppable deadly until it hits your central nervous system. At that point it's pretty much too late unless a near medical miracle of good luck saves you. before that, the virus spreads towards your CNS at a rate (If I remember right) of about a centimeter per day, and during all that time, you can still save yourself through prophylactic vaccination and (if you were never vaccinated before exposure) with a dose of immunoglobulin, which can be pricey anywhere.
As for why it's so insanely expensive in the U.S, not a fucking clue except to pass the responsibility on to the country's insanely byzantine medical billing and services systems.
In the country I live in (Mexico), the rabies vaccine (not immunoglobulin) costs about $50 per dose in a high-end private clinic and a dose of immunoglobulin about $200. There are also about 350 public health centers nation-wide that offer it for free if you're lucky enough to be close to one.
- Teever 2y agoDo you know if those Mexican prices are available foreigners? I've thought about getting a rabies vaccine just for peace of mind as I often travel to weird places in weird ways.
- southernplaces7 2y agoIf you visit Mexico, they certainly are. I'm not sure if they might be higher close to the U.S border (a common tendency for many products and services in Mexico, I suspect because of higher demand from American visitors) but anyone visiting any private clinic wherever in the country can simply pay for services at the same price charged to any local. These prices are often posted on CLINIC websites or publicity material, so it's usually easy to know if they're honestly being applied. As for the quality of doctors and the authenticity of medicine in reputable private clinics, in my experience problems are exceptionally rare, Though language barrier might be an issue in some cases. Not promoting anything specific here either, just describing personal experience from years of living here (and sometimes having needed medical services or medicines)