Rabies vaccine

     In the 1880s, Pasteur and his collaborators found that certain bacteria that cause chicken cholera, when put in culture for several weeks or exposed to adverse conditions, the bacteria are modified and lose their virulence. The animals inoculated with these bacteria do not develop the disease and, better yet, they are protected against subsequent infection with virulent infectious agent. Pasteur had discovered vaccination by attenuated pathogens. He applied this principle to other animal diseases, and to rabies. The first trial of this rabies vaccine was implemented in 1885 to a boy named Joseph Meites.

     The disease can be prevented with the condition to use the rabies vaccine before the first signs appear, that is to say during the incubation period. Rabies vaccine is a biological product prepared from live attenuated virus or an attenuated virus and inactivated by phenol. It is administered as a preventive treatment of rabies (in case of suspicious bites), 15-18 shots in a series of daily subcutaneous injections with gradually increasing doses. This vaccine is to prevent rabies in subjects at high risk of exposure.

     All subjects with permanent risk, for example the staff of the diagnostic laboratories, research and production which are working with rabies virus should be vaccinated. Serological monitoring is recommended every 6 months.

     The following categories of persons must be vaccinated considering the frequency exposure:

• veterinarians (and their assistants), hunting guards, foresters, hunters, forestry staff, forest workers, slaughterhouse staff, caving, taxidermists.
• people exposed in enzootic areas: children, adults and tourists who makes the holidays in these areas.

     After confirmed or suspected exposure, vaccination should be initiated immediately at the small risk of rabies contamination. Rabies vaccine should be made mandatory in a rabies treatment center. Treatment is adjusted according to wound type and condition of the animal.

Rabies vaccine uses

     The rabies vaccine is not to be used in these situations:

• Severe febrile infection, acute illness, (postpone vaccination is recommended).
• A known hypersensitivity to the vaccine components.

     Given the development of fatal infection to the reported rabies, curative rabies vaccine knows no contraindication.

Special warnings and precautions

• Use with caution in subjects with known allergy to neomycin (traces in the form of vaccine).
• Do not inject intravascular: make sure the needle does not penetrate a blood vessel.
• Immunoglobulin and the rabies vaccine should not be mixed in the same syringe or injected in the same place.
• To the permanently exposed subjects it should be done a serological control every 6 months, and it can be done every 2-3 years after booster and to1 and to 5 years in subjects undergoing sporadic exposures, depending on the exposure assessment.
• In the case of immunodeficiency subjects, this control can be performed at 2-4 weeks after the rabies vaccine.
• This vaccine should never be administrated in a intravascular way.

Use precautions

     Tell your doctor of known allergy to neomycin, because of the use of these substances during rabies vaccine production.

     In case of doubt, do not hesitate to consult your doctor or pharmacist.

     Keep away from children.