Response to purified chick embryo cell rabies vaccine administered intradermally for post-exposure prophylaxis.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Post-exposure immunization of rabies with presently available cell culture vaccines in the regular five-dose intramuscular schedule is expensive for developing countries. In view of the latest World Health Organization recommendation on the use of the abbreviated intradermal regimen (now routinely followed in Thailand), we evaluated this regimen for the purified chick embryo cell vaccine. METHODS: Twenty-five subjects who had nursed or casually handled a rabies patient were administered purified chick embryo cell vaccine. RESULTS: There was 100% seroconversion and all the subjects developed neutralizing antibody levels higher than the adequate level of 0.5 i.u./ml. Only minor side-effects were observed in some subjects. CONCLUSION: The feasibility of using this regimen in routine practice needs to be evaluated further.