I'm off to walk up Kilimanjaro with my other half later in the year. The advice for most of the vaccinations is pretty clear but for rabies it's a bit ambiguous. The jabs are expensive and awkward to get given my work (might need 3 days extra hols to be able to get to travel clinic) but I don't want to die in agony from an animal lick. Has anyone walked Kilimanjaro recently and what was the rabies advice given?

I didn't bother. Not that I sought any vaccination advice mind you.

its probably one of the most unpleasant deaths I can think of. the treatment has to start before any symptoms show and is also very unpleasant. but how likely is it that you'll be close enough to be bitten by something? I'm just back from mongolia where the sheep dogs don't round up the sheep they protect them from wolves and are not pets, despite looking a bit cute. I just stayed well clear of all dogs and didn't pet the marmots.. i'm sure you could wing it and be ok. your call..

i had a rabies jab and i must say that i was one of the most uncomfrotable injections i have had, but i'd rather have that done than get rabies.

I had rabies jabs once as two injections. They are odd and don't plan on doing very much for half an hour or so afterwards. A red patch formed around the injection area and smelt like a sort of plastic bleach. It was much hotter too. Still it did die down and all was fine. I hated the idea of getting rabies.
I was under the impression the jabs don't stop you getting it but make it easier to treat? Could be wrong though.

Jabs on offer are a course of 3 each about 7 days apart. They basically give you an extra 24 hours to get medical help over having no jabs. I'm not planning on getting bitten but it's hard to judge the risk from the information available. The NaTHNaC website my GP has been using sounds exactly the same for Spain as it does for Tanzania!

Kili is a big mountain with no villages on it, so unless you're planning on spending lots of time in the villages before/after climbing, I'd personally say it's a waste of money…

I lived in Arusha in Tanzania on and off for 2 years. As it happens I had left over rabies protection from jabs taken for a previous few months spent in Asia, so I just got boosters before i went out there… I lived in a very 'basic' area with lots of dogs running round all the time, and the only time I ever had trouble with them was when I was riding in some of the villages where there are loads of dogs running round all day that like to chase bikes… The dogs are only really in populated areas… So no people = no problem…

The rabbies jag doesn't actually give you immunity, it just buys you a bit more time before you need hospital treatment. Not much extra, an axtra 24hrs I think! So, you still need to get to hospital quick smart, even with the vaccination.

Deisions should be based on risk of getting bitten by rabbid animal, alongside how long to get you to a hospital that can treat you.

Went to Uganda/Rwanda last year, informed decision not to get it, as decided would be able to get to hospital in time, and low risk of getting bitten.

http://www.masta.org

Specialist travel medicine advice. The wife is one of their specialist travel nurses. Much better quality advice than a GP, IMO.

Apparently the important thing is to catch the thing that bites you and take that to the hospital too.

Oh yeah… While we're talking about Rabies – when I lived in Tanzania I shared a house with a few vets working on rabies control projects (where they run around all over giving dogs vaccinations…)

They always used to say that if you ever get bitten wash the wound straight away with anything that you can find, water, milk, beer, urine, anything – apparently you can physically wash the virus out of the wound… something to do with how it gets transmitted… Can really help lower chance of infection…

Enjoy the mountain…

You take the jab, you just survive the disease for an extra 24 hours …. you don't and it's over sooner – worth the money?

I'd not bother with it personally, didn't for Kenya earlier in the year and I came back ALIVE – awesome!

Thanks for all the advice, the collective experience of the Singletrack Forum never ceases to amaze me!