Skip to content

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.

Suggested Topics

  • Puppy Vaccines ?

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    22
    0 Votes
    22 Posts
    5k Views
    tanzaT
    @jengosmonkey - NuHeart only does Heartworm, Heartguard Plus has meds for roundworms & hookworm. And people that give heartworm for 6 months are typically people that live in climates that have a cold winter, ie: when the ground freezes. We do not have that in this part of No. California so I give it year round.
  • 3 1/2-year-old Basenji

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    37
    0 Votes
    37 Posts
    35k Views
    tanzaT
    He is in a better place… just remember you will carry his soul in your heart forever... All of my Basenjis that have passed before me are here in my heart
  • 0 Votes
    7 Posts
    4k Views
    Kris_ChristineK
    @wizard: Makes you wonder what the vet schools are teaching too! Indeed it does!
  • KILLEEN, TEXAS 3 Year Rabies ALERT

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    3k Views
    J
    @Kris_Christine: It already passed! :D Whoot! Whoot!!!
  • 0 Votes
    1 Posts
    1k Views
    No one has replied
  • Vaccine swelling

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    15
    0 Votes
    15 Posts
    6k Views
    W
    @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.