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It might seem silly, but it isn't. A couple of months ago a monkey bit my leg on a beach in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand. He just wanted to play or get my attention, so I thought it was okay, since he had barely scratched me. He didn't hurt me and it was a small bite, but my companions were alarmed and insisted that I had to go to a hospital. In spite of everything, it was important to go to a clinic to get anti-rabies. So that's what I did. Here are the steps you should follow if something similar happens to you.
1. Do not panic. The first thing to do in this case is to remain calm. It's a monkey bite not shark.
two. Go to the nearest hospital. Ask the locals, they will locate it for you. In my case, he bit me at Monkey Beach (of course). It is a paradise for primates with its turquoise water, rock formations and vivid vegetation. We immediately took a boat to the hospital, located just five minutes away. There, I took off my shoes to enter the center, filled out some forms and waited.
3. get vaccinated Ten minutes later, when I was attended to, they asked me what had happened. They cleaned and dressed the wound and, finally, they injected me with the Rabipur . All for about **1,300 bats (34 euros) **. Without a doubt, one would think that they have a well-organized beach bar. The ape bites you and less than five minutes away you have the vaccination center where tourists and locals go daily.
Four. Side effects are normal. It is very likely that in the next few days you will feel a reaction to the vaccine such as fever or tiredness. It is normal.
A gang of monkeys at Monkey Beach
5. You have to continue the treatment, even if you feel better. The nurses at the center gave me a card and told me that I had to continue the treatment in my place of residence. To finish it, I only needed four more vaccines. The second was after three days, just upon my arrival in Barcelona.
6. The treatment is NOT sold in pharmacies. This vaccine is only provided in specialized tropical and rabies vaccination centers and they are closed during the weekend, so keep this in mind. Since I arrived in Barcelona on a Sunday, I had to wait another day to wear it.
7. Contact the vaccination center in your city. On Monday I was already in Madrid and contacted the Rabies Immunoprophylaxis Center (Calle Montesa, 22) to continue with the injections. At the Rabies Vaccination Center they asked me about the bite and the wound. After telling them about the incident, one of the efficient nurses injected me with the vaccine. This time it was from the Pasteur pharmaceutical company, the one generally used in Spain. They filled out the card for me and gave me an appointment for the next vaccinations (days 0-3-7-14-21). On the first visit, it is not necessary to make an appointment, you simply have to go to the Center before 1:30 p.m. and there they are responsible for administering the appropriate dose. The good? You do not have to pay anything.
8. Think positive. Monkeys can transmit diseases, but before taking the worst case scenario, calm down and think positive. It's five punctures and that's it. Now that I'm immunized for two years, I'll cross my fingers that nothing else bites me.
MADRID AND BARCELONA ANTI-RABIES VACCINATION CENTERS:
Madrid:
- Human Rabies Immunoprophylaxis Center (Calle Montesa 22, Madrid; Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; tel. 91 4801328)
- Carlos III Hospital (10 Sinesio Delgado Street, Madrid; tel. 91 4532500)
Barcelona:
Hospital del Mar (Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 25-29, Barcelona; tel. 93 2483000)
thai monkey