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Rabies Vaccine – 3 yr Vaccine Relabeled as 1 yr

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • The USDA allows vaccine manufacturers to relabel their 3 year rabies vaccines as 1 year products. This link http://www.calmanimalcare.com/vaccine.htm , you will be taken to the Calm Animal Care website, which has posted Colorado State University's Small Animal Vaccination Protocol for its veterinary teaching hospital, which states:"Even with rabies vaccines, the label may be misleading in that a three year duration of immunity product may also be labeled and sold as a one year duration of immunity product."

    "In the case of Defensor 1 and Defensor 3 vaccines made by Pfizer, testing is the only difference between the products. 'The formulations are the same, but regulatory requirements for the one- and three-year vaccines are different, requiring distinct and separate studies for each label,' said Pfizer spokesman Richard Chambers."
    States Consider Controlling Rabies Vaccination Intervals, by Edie Lau The Veterinary Information Network News Service 8/12/11 http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=19501

    According to Dr. Ronald Schultz of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, "There is no benefit from annual rabies vaccination and most one year rabies products are similar or identical to the 3-year products with regard to duration of immunity and effectiveness. However, if they are 1 year rabies vaccines, they must be legally given annually!" from What Everyone Needs to Know about Canine Vaccines
    http://www.puliclub.org/CHF/AKC2007Conf/What%20Everyone%20Needs%20to%20Know%20About%20Canine%20Vaccines.htm

    In an April 1, 2008 DVM360 article entitled, Canine Vaccine Update (Proceedings) http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/avhc/Medicine/Canine-vaccine-update-Proceedings/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/562405 by Dr. Craig Datz states that, "..some brands of rabies vaccine are identical whether labeled as 1- or 3-year…"

    2006 Canine & Feline Vaccination Guidelines, A Forum on Issues and Controversies by Dr. Richard B. Ford, DVM, Professor of Medicine, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine http://www.hcvma.org/notes/SpeakerNotesRichardFord.pdf Table 2 on Page 4 states: Vaccine Type: Rabies, 1-year: Minimum Duration of Immunity: 3 Years (must be administered annually)

  • @Kris_Christine:

    The USDA allows vaccine manufacturers to relabel their 3 year rabies vaccines as 1 year products. This link http://www.calmanimalcare.com/vaccine.htm , you will be taken to the Calm Animal Care website, which has posted Colorado State University's Small Animal Vaccination Protocol for its veterinary teaching hospital, which states:"Even with rabies vaccines, the label may be misleading in that a three year duration of immunity product may also be labeled and sold as a one year duration of immunity product."

    This has been this way for quite some time.
    There hasn't been a difference in the 1 and 3-yr vaccines for as long as I have paid attention to them…

  • @khanis:

    This has been this way for quite some time.
    There hasn't been a difference in the 1 and 3-yr vaccines for as long as I have paid attention to them…

    True, but so many pet owners are unaware of this fact.

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    @wizard: Makes you wonder what the vet schools are teaching too! Indeed it does!
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    @sinbaje: This "tender knot" is a localized reaction to the vaccine. It should go away on its own but can take a while; upwards of 8 weeks or more. Those of us in the vet field consider this "normal" but one has to wonder. I would certainly let your vet know for future references that he had a reaction to the vaccine as the next reaction (if he were to have one) could be more serious (ie hives, swelling, etc). Benadryl would no longer be effective. That said - you could ask your vet about pretreating with benadryl prior to injection to help minimize any possible future reactions. You could give orally an hour or two prior to exam. Talk to your doctor re: proper dosaging and exact timing. Best to just leave it alone and let his body deal with it. To add: Vaccines are given in different areas of the body. The most commonly known is that Rabies is given in the Right Rear. So that if a reaction such as a lump is formed due to the vaccine, the doctor will know which vaccine caused the reaction. It would be safe to give benadryl before each vaccine as to not take a chance but it should be known which vaccine will give a reaction to that animal.
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    Here's the link to The Rabies Challenge Fund page on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rabies-Challenge-Fund/119106981159?v=wall
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    @eeeefarm: I believe Benin is in West Africa. Rabies is endemic in Africa. Yes, I thought you must live outside the U.S. We at The Rabies Challenge Fund believe that all healthy dogs and cats should be vaccinated against rabies.
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    @tanza: Found this under Florida law on rabies (2) A dog or cat shall not be required to be vaccinated against rabies if a licensed veterinarian has examined the animal and has certified in writing that at such time vaccination would endanger the animal's health because of its age, infirmity, disability, illness, or other medical considerations. Such exempt animal shall be vaccinated against rabies as soon as its health permits. And it also seems in Florida, it can change from county to county on if required yearly or 3 yrs.. Good to know that about an animal with health issues - and yes, it does vary county to county. Hillsborough, where I live, requires it yearly.
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    Updated Rabies Control Act Allows Longer Vaccination Intervals http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=95265&catid=2 "The updated Rabies Control Act has new rules passed by the State Board of Health that allow for a longer interval between rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats. The new rules will become effective January 1, 2010. If a three-year vaccine is chosen, the pet will be required to be revaccinated three years later."