3 yr Vaccine Relabeled as 1 yr

[Kris L. Christine]

If immunity were to last many more years than the vaccine is currently listed for, that would be a wonderful advance and, hopefully, legislation would follow suit to bring the vaccination interval to a length of time to reflect that.

 

There is scientific data demonstrating that the rabies vaccine confers immunity in canines longer than the vaccine labels indicate. In 1992, a team of researchers led by Michel Aubert published the results of a 5 year challenge study (PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF RABIES ANTIBODIES IN CATS AND DOGS* AND RESULTS OF A SURVEY ON RABIES VACCINATION AND QUARANTINE FOR DOMESTIC CARNIVORA IN WESTERN EUROPE) showing that dogs were immune to a rabies challenge 5 years after vaccination, while the serological studies done by Dr. Ronald Schultz of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, proved that dogs had antibody titer counts at levels known to confer immunity to rabies 7 years after vaccination.

 

On page 13 of the Special Report of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Canine Vaccine Task Force: 2003 Canine Vaccine Guidelines, Recommendations, and Supporting Literature http://leerburg.com/special_report.htm, it states: "The minimum DOI for killed rabies vaccine based on challenge studies is 3 years; based on antibody titers, it is considered to be up to 7 years [Table 2]. " (DOI stands for duration of immunity)

 

Center for Disease Control Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report March 22, 1991 / 40(RR03);1-19

 

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00041987.htm

 

"A fully vaccinated dog or cat is unlikely to become infected with rabies, although rare cases have been reported (48). In a nationwide study of rabies among dogs and cats in 1988, only one dog and two cats that were vaccinated contracted rabies (49). All three of these animals had received only single doses of vaccine; no documented vaccine failures occurred among dogs or cats that had received two vaccinations."

[JustKatie]

 

You may live in a situation where the likelihood of exposure to rabid animals is miniscule - but many people live where there are active populations of skunks, raccoons, bats, and other wildlife that are known to have rabies in their populations. One farmer in VA lost two bulls - diagnosis, rabies. One farmer in NY lost a horse - diagnosis, rabies. These are just two individuals that I know.

 

Sorry for the farmers loss. As I've said in several posts, I'm not against rabies vaccination. I think its already been proven over and over, it's the over use, the boosters that are not necessary. And dogs that have had a reaction and are already vaccinated, ( many times in my case) thats what needs to be changed. I've been contacted by people reading these posts and their are two vets in my area that are willing to help me. I will check them out.