The rabies vaccine can be given immediately after the anti-rabies serum. Both the vaccine and the serum need to be administered by a medical professional in a regular hospital. In general, exposure to the rabies virus should be treated according to the type of exposure. If one or more wounds are inflicted by penetrating bites or scratches of an animal, and the mucous membranes are contaminated by the animal’s saliva, rabies vaccine should be administered immediately and rabies serum should be used at the same time. After the rabies vaccine is injected into the body, it takes some time for the antibodies to be produced. To prevent the rabies virus from infecting the central nervous system in the meantime, an immune serum can be injected first. The serum contains antibodies to the rabies virus, which can neutralize some of the virus first, buying time for the vaccine-induced antibody production. The rabies virus has a long incubation time, and it is important to seek medical attention immediately after exposure to the rabies virus to minimize the chance of infection.