RABIES
VACCINES
In this connection it is interesting
to note that the two rabies vaccines shown in the list,
Rabisin from Merial and Nobivac Rabies from Intervet are
both inactivated killed vaccines. This is because in the
past, in North America, when attenuated vaccines were investigated
there was the possibility of shedding the virus and therefore
the safer, killed vaccine is used.
I wonder how long we will have to
wait before recombitant rabies vaccines are available in
this country for dogs and cats?
I mentioned earlier that inactivated
killed vaccines generally produce a shorter effective immunce
response. Some countries insist on annual rabies vaccination.
However with Nobivac Rabies inactivated vaccine Intervet
recommend dogs and cats are re-vaccinated every two years.
The adjuvant used is aluminium phosphate. Merial also produce
a similar inactivated Rabies vaccine (Rabisin) but use a
different technique, growing the virus on cells originating
from hamster embryo cell culture. Aluminium hydroxideis
is used as an adjuvant and a two year booster interval in
dogs is recommended by the manufacturer and one year for
cats. It would therefore seem sensible to use Nobivac Rabies
vaccine since it gives two years immunity for dogs and cats.
The difficulty then is that certain countries operating
under the PETS scheme require annual rabies booster vaccination
for both dogs and cats.
I faced this dilemma recently when
presented with a cat with a request for a rabies booster
only to find that its Nobivac rabies had still a year to
run.
Clearly if the owners were going
to return to their country of origin with the cat, a booster
had to be put in but if as a result of this there is any
untoward reaction, would I be accused of using the product
without the manufacturer's recommendation?
Vaccines and vaccine policies are
changing. This has to be for the ultimate good the patient
but in the meantime I think it might cause us, as kennel
owners and managers, a few headaches on the way.
