Dog Bite Wounds

A 24-year-old man presents with a number of wounds on his right forearm. He tells you that his neighbour’s dog bit him twelve hours ago when he picked up one of her pups. The wounds are superficial and he says it only bled for a few seconds. He has no medical history. The patient says that he only came to the ED because his neighbour told him he would need antibiotics and a tetanus booster.

With regard to antibiotics, which of the following is the most appropriate advice for this patient?

The patient came to the UK from Syria 3 years ago. He is unsure if he had ever been vaccinated against tetanus.

Which of the following is the most appropriate action?

The patient tells you that he is concerned about the risk of rabies and he requests a rabies vaccine.

How do you respond?