Immunoglobulin Rabies Vaccine: The Complete FAQ Guide In 2025

1.What do you know about the immunoglobulin rabies vaccine?

Rabies immunoglobulin

Immunoglobulin rabies vaccine is a product that contains antibodies that are injected into the body of wound person bitten by a stray animal like dog, cat, monkey etc. The antibodies rabies immunoglobulin are extracted from the human plasma and can be extracted from the horse plasma as well. These antibodies provides passive immunity to the body that immediately neutralize the rabies antigens at the site of exposure.

2.How immunoglobulin rabies vaccine work in the wounded body?

Have you ever encountered with an individual that are bitten or scratch by a rabid animal and that person is given by a rabies immunoglobulin? Why they are given with a rabies immunoglobulin shot? Because this vaccine provides immediate protection against the rabies antigens by neutralizing them. Do you know how this injection works is? Let’s clarify it:

Immediate protection (passive immunity) :

Rabies immunoglobulin provides passive immunity-Picture courtesy: cardinalsantos.com

Rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) is ready-made antibodies that inject into the site where the stray animal has bitten or just scratch a site. The injected antibodies bind to the rabies virus where it processed and then denature the viral DNA. The destruction of virus structure can leads to killing of virus.

If not under controlled or not been killed, the rabies virus may have chances to enter the nervous system where it travels toward the brain and can cause fatal infections.

Buys time for the vaccine:

The rabies vaccine can stimulate the body immune system to produce antibodies against the virus but in building the antibodies, it usually takes one or two weeks to fully develop the immunity against rabies vaccine.

But do you know what does rabies immunoglobulin do? It provides a bridge and protecting and fighting against the virus and protect the virus from entering the nervous system, until active immunity develops.

3.What functions does rabies immunoglobulin play in your body to prevent rabies infection after a stray animal bite?

After the person body is exposed to rabies virus or antigens, the rabies immunoglobulin antibodies are injected into the body because of providing shield against the virus and reduce the risk of infections in the body.

Neutralizes the rabies virus at the entry site:

Neutralizes the rabies virus at the entry site

The rabies immunoglobulin have performed antibodies. When the stray dog or any other animal scratch your body or bite you, then the rabies virus inject into your body. The rabies immunoglobulin reaches to the wounded site where the antibodies attached to the virus and neutralize them.

Provide immediate, passive immunity:

Do you know what the function of vaccine is? The vaccine stimulate your body immune system to make antibodies against the foreign agent which is time taking. The immune system antibodies production typically takes 7 to 14 days to provide protection.

Immediate action of immunoglobulin vaccine

But the immunoglobulin rabies is ready-made antibodies that circulate into your body and when it finds rabies virus, it attaches to them and kill them. In this way, these antibodies protect the nervous system from attack of rabies virus.

4.How do you differentiate immunoglobulin rabies vaccine and the regular rabies vaccine?

The immunoglobulin rabies vaccine and the regular rabies vaccine both are used in providing the safety against the rabies virus but there are some difference between these two in their composition, function and timing. The detailed comparison in given below:

Features	Rabies immunoglobulin	Rabies vaccine
Type of immunity	Rabies immunoglobulin provides passive immunity to the body.	Rabies vaccine provides active immunity to the body. It activates the body immune system to boost.
Content	The rabies immunoglobulin contains ready-made antibodies that circulate un your body and kill the rabies virus.	The rabies vaccine contains the inactivated rabies virus antigens that activate the body immunity against the rabies virus.
Function	It has antibodies that immediately attack on the rabies virus and neutralized them at the wound site.	The rabies vaccine activates the body immune system to activate and produce antibodies against the rabies virus.
Onset of action	The immunoglobulin rabies immediately neutralize the rabies virus.	The rabies vaccine activates the body immune system to produce antibodies which requires 7 to 14 days.
Duration of protection	The products in the syringe is antibodies and it can protect the body against virus for short term.	The rabies vaccine protect the body against the rabies virus for a long term after the full course.
Route of administration	These antibodies product is infiltered into or around the wound where the stray animal has bitten.	The rabies vaccine is given intramuscularly.
Availability	These antibodies are extracted from human plasma so, they are more expensive and limited in some regions.	The rabies vaccine is widely available.

5.What are the ways of administrating immunoglobulin rabies vaccine into the effected body?

The rabies immunoglobulin is injected into or around the wound and this way is known as infiltrate. The remaining dose in the vial that can’t be infiltrated are injected intramuscularly.

Infiltrate around the wound:

Infiltrate around the wound

The immunoglobulin rabies vaccine can be administered directly into or around the wound where the animal has been bitten or scratched a person. The way to administered immunoglobulin is to directly neutralize the antigens. For this, you should use fine needle syringe.

Intramuscular injection:

Intramuscular injection-Picture courtesy: Nursing times

In this method, antibodies are injected into the tissues. The site of entry of the rabies virus or the site were scratch or bite occurred, the calculated dose of rabies immunoglobulin are injected into or around the site. The purpose of this injection is to directly neutralize the virus at the site.

If there are several wounds occur, use several small injections around or into the wound.

If the wound is deep, use long needle for injection for directly exposed the antibodies in the affected area.

You can use multiple small injections into or around the affected area.

If the wound is on small areas like ear, fingers or toes, avoid large volumes of injection because this will tear or damage the tissues.

6.Can two vaccines i.e. immunoglobulin rabies vaccine and rabies vaccine be given together?

Rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobuline

If your body is bitten by a rabid animal and the wound is deep or around the skin but you are unvaccinated person then yes, you can be given with both immunoglobulin rabies and rabies vaccines as part of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). But remember not to mix these two vaccines. Also make sure not to inject them at the same time. The way and purpose of these two are given below:

Features	Rabies immunoglobulin (RIG)	Rabies vaccine
Purpose	When you are exposed to rabies virus and your body is given the rabies immunoglobulin shot, the antibodies in RIG provide immediate passive immunity and neutralize the virus at the site.	The rabies vaccine provides the active immunity to the body. The rabies vaccine activate your body immune system to produce the antibodies against the rabies virus.
Timing	If someone or your body itself is suffered from rabies virus or been bitten by a stray dog, or any other animal then you should be given the rabies immunoglobulin shot or you can say from day 0, you can inject the rabies immunoglobulin.	You can inject the rabies vaccine any time, possibly from day 0, 3, 7 or any time depending on the protocol.
Route	You can give the shot infiltration around the wound or if needed, you can inject it intramuscularly.	You can give a shot of rabies vaccine intramuscularly (IM).
Injection site	The site of injection of rabies immunoglobulin is at or around the wound site.	It should be given at deltoid muscles in adults and anterolateral thigh in children.

7.Enlist the risks or the disadvantages of the immunoglobulin rabies vaccine?

Yes, like other medical treatment, immunoglobulin rabies vaccine is lifesaving but having some risk and disadvantages as well. Some of them are given below:

Local reaction at injection site:

Swelling and redness at an injection site

Do you know if a large volume of immunoglobulin rabies vaccine is injected at the site then the reactions may cause. The reactions may be pain, swelling, or redness at the site where the immunoglobulin rabies antibodies has been injected.

Allergic reactions:

Rash at the injection site

Have you ever encountered with the medications that showed allergic reactions? When your body is exposed to immunoglobulin rabies vaccine, there are possibilities of allergic reactions. Some of the mild reactions are itching, rash and fever.

There may have chances of anaphylaxis that is life threatening allergic reaction.

Interference with vaccine:

It is recommended not to inject the immunoglobulin rabies vaccine and rabies vaccine at the same time and at the same spot or even not too close to each other. The reason behind this is, the rabies immunoglobulin may have chances to neutralize the rabies vaccine and hence, reduced the effectiveness of the vaccine. You should inject rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine at different anatomical sites.

8.Is immunoglobulin rabies vaccine required if shot is already taken?

Imagine if you are bitten or scratch by a dog and suffered from a rabies virus. You rushed to get the rabies vaccine, is the one shot enough to protect your body or nervous system from attack of the rabies virus? Many people think that the rabies vaccine is enough to protect the body but your body need a powerful immunoglobulin rabies vaccine as well to fully protect the body from the affect o9f rabies virus.

If you were previously vaccinated (before exposure):

If your body has already been vaccinated with rabies vaccine then the antibodies or memory cells are already in your body. After recognizing the foreign agent in your body, the immune system quickly alerts the memory cells to produce antibodies against the foreign particles and immediately killed them.

For this reason, you don’t need immunoglobulin but you just need two booster vaccines on day 0 and day 3.

If you were not vaccinated before exposure:

If your body is not been vaccinated then there are no memory cells and hence your body has not quick antibodies production. For this reason, you need immunoglobulin shot for quick insertion of antibodies against the rabies virus. This provide immediate passive immunity. RIG must be given in the first 7 days of the first vaccine dose.

9.How to manufacture the immunoglobulin rabies vaccine?

Have you ever wondered how scientist manufactured the powerful liquid that can kill the deadliest virus before they reached to the brain? Every small vial that holds a super powerful antibodies lies a complex journey. Here is how this miracle medicine made.

There are two types of rabies immunoglobulin and each types is manufactured differently.

Equine rabies immunoglobulin (ERIG) from horses:

Equine rabies immunoglobulin is extracted from the horses and step by step process is given below:

Hyperimmunization of horses:

Hyperimmunization of horses-Picture courtesy: International animal health journal

First of all, the healthy horse is injected with inactivated rabies virus antigens for several weeks. The horse immune system is activated and plenty of antibodies are produced. Hence, the horse plasma has high level of anti-rabies antibodies.

Plasma collection:

Plasma collection-Picture courtesy: clevelandclinic

Once the fully immune system are developed then blood is drawn from the horse. The plasma containing antibodies are extracted and separated from the red blood cells with the help of centrifugation technique.

Purification and enzyme digestion:

Digestion of immunoglobulin

The plasma is then undergo through the enzyme digestion. The enzyme used for digestion of antibodies (immunoglobulin) into its fragments is pepsin. The purpose of converting the full antibodies into fragments is to reduce the risk of allergic reactions in the human body.

Inactivation and sterilization:

Inactivation of virus

In the next step, you need to inactivate the infectious agents in the immunoglobulin and then sterilized them for human use.

Formulation and packaging:

Formulation of equine anti-rabies immunoglobulin

The sterilized and the final liquid product which is actually antibodies are filled into the sterilized vials and then package them at the controlled storage condition.

Human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) from human donors:

Plasma donation:

Human plasma-Picture courtesy: europlasma

You should collect the blood plasma from the human body that has been exposed to rabies vaccine and having memory cells against the rabies antigens present. The blood plasma of such person will be rich in anti-rabies antibodies.

Plasma pooling:

Plasma pooling-Picture courtesy: htz.biz

Plasma will be collect from multiple donors having anti-rabies antibodies present. They are pooled to ensure the consistent antibody levels.

Fractionation:

Fractionation

The alcohol precipitation method is used to extract of fractionate the gamma immunoglobulin from the blood plasma by using centrifuge machine.

Virus inactivation:

Inactivated virus system-Picture courtesy: nature.com

If there are any virus present then different procedures are applied to kill and remove any virus or contaminants.

Formulation:

Formulation-Picture courtesy: pharmaexcipients.com

The purified and pure immunoglobulin antibodies should be adjusted at the standard concentration.

Quality control and packaging:

Rabies immunoglobulin

The finished immunoglobulin liquid product should then be tested for potency, sterility and safety. Then this product should be filled in sterile vials and package them into cartons for their safety.

10.Which machines do you need for the manufacturing of immunoglobulin rabies vaccine?

For the manufacturing of both human and equine rabies vaccine, following machines and equipment’s are used.

Centrifuge:

Centrifuge-Picture courtesy: ivfstore.com

The blood sample is extracted from the horse or from human body is spin in the centrifuge machine. The centrifuge machine separate the plasma from other blood components like red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets etc. The heavier components are settled at the bottom while the other components are separated in layers in the centrifuge machine. The separation of these components are due to centrifugal force in the centrifuge.

Plasma fractionation system:

Plasma fractionation system-Picture courtesy: syntegon.com

The separated plasma is then processed in the plasma fractionation system where the desired immunoglobulin is separated from the plasma. This system involves different methods like alcohol precipitation to separate the protein or you can say immunoglobulin. The plasma fractionation is highly automatic system and can handle a large batch of plasma and can separate and collect the desired fraction.

Chromatography system:

Chromatography system-Picture courtesy: sepragen.com

After the plasma fractionation, the immunoglobulin is purified by using chromatography system. The ion exchange chromatography has a specialized columns that are filled with a specific material for separating the specific proteins. The unwanted substance are then pass through.

The immunoglobulin protein should be washed out and collected.

Ultrafiltration unit:

AIPAK Ultrafiltration system for removing unwanted substances

The purified immunoglobulin that is obtained and collected in the chromatography technique, is then concentrate in the ultrafiltration unit. The ultrafiltration unit has a membrane that removes the smaller unwanted substances like salts etc. from the immunoglobulin filtrate. You will get pure and refine immunoglobulin in this ultrafiltration unit.

Virus inactivation equipment:

The purpose of virus inactivation is to eliminate any virus or contaminant from the immunoglobulin antibodies before formulation. There are several methods involved in the virus inactivation like:

Pasteurization unit

In the pasteurization unit, specific temperature is setup which is used to kill the virus if present in the liquid product.

Non filtration units

The nano-filtration units filter out very minute and small sized viral structure if present in the liquid product.

Lyophilizer:

AIPAK Lyophilizer

The immunoglobulin rabies product is then projected in the lyophilizer where the moisture content from the immunoglobulin solution is removed under low pressure. This turn the solution into dry-powder which stabilize the final product and increase the shelf life of the final product.

Sterile vial filling line:

AIPAK ENGINEERING sterile vial filling line

The final rabies immunoglobulin product is filled in the washed and sterilized vials. The correct dose of immunoglobulin is filled in the vials and then the vials are sealed with a rubber stopper and then are capped. This ensures the safety of rabies immunoglobulin products.

Labelling machine:

AIPAK labelling machine

The rabies immunoglobulin vials are labelled with a name, dose, and many other essential information with the help of labelling machine. This ensures the safety and satisfaction of the consumers.

Cartoning machine:

AIPAK cartoning machine

The ready to use rabies immunoglobulin vaccines are then packaged in to strong cartons with the help of cartoning machine. This ensures the immunoglobulin vaccine is delivered to the pharmacies and to the consumers in safe way without damage or leak the products.

11.What is the storage condition of immunoglobulin rabies vaccine?

The proper storage condition of rabies immunoglobulin is important for its safety, effectiveness and fruitful results. Whether you are using human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) or equine rabies immunoglobulin (ERIG) both should be stored with care for their amazing results. Here is a detailed information.

Storage condition for both Human rabies immunoglobulin and Equine rabies immunoglobulin:

Parameters	Conditions
Temperature requirement	The ideal temperature for storage of rabies immunoglobulin is +2 to +8 which is the temperature of refrigerator. If the temperature exceed from +8 then the immunoglobulin which is actually protein denatured and lost its potency. If the temperature is below +2 then the protein (immunoglobulin) can be irreversibly damaged and can lose its effectiveness. So, for monitoring the temperature of the product, you should use a digital thermometer.
Do not freeze	If the product or the protein molecules in immunoglobulin is exposed to very low temperature or freezing temperature then you should discard it even if expiry date is valid. The reason behind this is the precipitation of the protein molecule and hence, lost its biological activity.
Protection from light	You should always keep the rabies immunoglobulin in their original package. This will protect the products from external agents like oxidation and light which can destroy the protein structure of immunoglobulin.
Cold chain maintenance during transport	During transportation, do not direct contact these rabies immunoglobulin vials with the dry ice because this will coagulate the protein molecules and hence clump will appear in the vials. So, always use insulated thermal containers or cold boxes for its storage during transportation.
Shelf life and expiry date	The shelf life of rabies immunoglobulin is typically 2 to 3 years after the date of manufacturing. Before administering the immunoglobulin into the human body, always check the expiry date and never inject the expired product into the body.
Post-opening use	Once the vial is opened, use the product immediately. If there are still some product after use, discard them. Don’t keep them in refrigerator for future use.
Disposal of expired or spoiled product	If the product vial is exposed to improper temperature, the product may get spoiled or freeze or if your rabies immunoglobulin vial get expired, don’t throw them in the open space or container. Dispose them in a sharp containers.

12.What precautions should be considered while administering immunoglobulin rabies vaccine?

Rabies immunoglobulin should be given at the start of the post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent the body from damage. This provides immediate passive immunity before the body immune system against the antigens has been developed. It should be administered with great care to avoid any side effects and gain fruitful results.

Confirm indication before administration:

Rabies Immunoglobulin vaccine-Picture courtesy: kedrab.com

If the individual has been completed the pre or post exposure prophylaxis vaccination then the antibodies are already present in the body so, do not give rabies immunoglobulin. If the individual has not ever exposed to rabies vaccine, then give rabies immunoglobulin to that individuals.

Administrator as soon as possible:

Dog bite

Once the individual is exposed to rabid animal bite then administrate rabies immunoglobulin in the body as soon as possible. Give the shot of rabies immunoglobulin in the first 7

Before giving a shot, clean the skin with cotton swab. Use sterile syringes and gloves. This will prevent the secondary infections. Always use single-use vial and if the product remain in the vial then discard it.

Check product integrity:

Product of rabies immunoglobulin-Picture courtesy: sciencemuseumgroup

Before administrating the rabies immunoglobulin into the body, inspect the coloration of the product in the vial. If there is cloudiness, discoloration or clumps are present then do not use it.

Conclusion:

It is concluded that if you are healthcare professionals or a patients, you should know about the importance, purpose and types of rabies immunoglobulin. These gluco-protein antibodies not just represent the medical intervention but also a powerful medication that fight and provide shield against the life-threatened virus. There are various machines involved in the manufacturing of rabies immunoglobulin. Whether you are a researcher or manufacturer, AIPAK engineering stands with you. For more information, contact us!