[rallison]

> Vaccines are for pre exposure.

That is correct for most vaccines. However, it's different for rabies. The vaccine is also effective post exposure (as long as it is given soon enough). Human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) is also part of the post exposure treatment, but the vaccine is critical here too.

Also of note: if one has received a course of rabies vaccinations as part of a pre-exposure treatment (high risk jobs, certain types of travel, etc), then the post exposure treatment consists of only a few extra doses of the vaccine (and not HRIG).

I travel to relatively remote places, and hike in those places, so I decided to pay for a course of the rabies vaccine a few years ago (the three dose course). If I do ever end up with a feral dog bite, for example, that makes treatment much easier - the vaccine is much more available globally than HRIG, and the timeframe is more relaxed if you've had the pre-exposure jabs. Granted, that immunity eventually wanes, so I'll occasionally need a booster to maintain enough protection.