Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) most commonly follows the Essen regimen — four visits on a fixed schedule. Each dose builds on the last; the course only works if it's completed.
First dose, given the day you're seen. If you're Category III, immunoglobulin is administered at the wound site on this same visit.
Second dose. This is where compliance typically starts to drop — it's easy to feel "fine" and skip it. Immunity is still building.
Third dose. Retention at this stage tends to hold up reasonably well since it's still close to the incident.
Final dose, completing the course. This is the visit most often missed nationally — by four weeks out, the bite feels like old news, but the protection isn't complete without it.
Rabies has a 100% fatality rate once symptoms appear, and no treatment exists at that stage. PEP works by building immunity before the virus reaches the nervous system — which is also why it has to be started early and finished on schedule, not stopped once the fear has passed.
Go back as soon as you can. Clinicians can usually resume from where you left off rather than restarting the whole series, but the sooner you return, the smaller the gap in protection. Don't skip the visit out of embarrassment — this is a common, correctable situation.
SureVax runs 15+ walk-in animal bite clinics across Metro Manila, with a 30-minute service standard.