Rabies Vaccine Immunity or Extra Time?

Rabies vaccination is a complex issue. It sounds like you may be talking about the pre-exposure series, given as a series of 3 doses. The vaccine produces immunity but you are correct in that further treatment is needed if you have an exposure. Having received the pre-exposure series, if you are exposed, you still need two more shots of vaccine to boost your immunity. But you do not need the immune globulin you would need if you did not have the pre-exposure series, and in unvaccinated people, a total of four doses of rabies vaccine are needed in most people, in addition to the immune globulin , if they are exposed. So there are several advantages of getting the vaccine for people likely to be exposed; for people with frequent contact with animals or the rabies virus, it offers a safety net for unrecognized exposures. For people who travel, it simplifies the treatment of an exposure by eliminating the need for immune globulin, which is difficult to obtain in many countries.