Rabies Vaccine Prepared in Human Cell Cultures: Progress and Perspectives

Rabies vaccine prepared in human diploid cell strains is a replacement for the previously available vaccines that are prepared in animal tissues and are less immunogenic and more reactogenic. The human cell-grown vaccine made in the United States is a split-product vaccine, whereas the vaccines made in Europe are whole-virion vaccines. Both types of vaccine contain concentrated and inactivated "fixed " rabies virus. When used before exposure to rabies virus, the vaccine should be given intramuscularly in three I-mI doses on days 0, 7, and 21. Immediately after exposure to rabies virus, a person should be given human rabies immune globulin (20 international units/kg). This treat-ment should be followed by five intramuscular doses of vaccinegiven on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28. For maintenance of long-term immunity in persons continuously exposed to the risk of rabies, booster doses of the vaccine should be given at two-year intervals. In 1984 the world, if it survives to that Orwellian date, will celebrate the centenary of the develop-ment by Louis Pasteur of a vaccine against rabies [1]. In 1885, the year after he made the vaccine