One or three intradermal injections within one week for rabies pre-exposure immunization

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Vaccinology
• Public Health

Background:

• Pre-exposure rabies vaccination is crucial for travelers to endemic areas and specific populations.
• The standard three-dose regimen over 3-4 weeks is often not completed by travelers due to time constraints.
• Alternative vaccination schedules are needed to ensure adequate protection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the secondary antibody response in volunteers receiving one or three rabies vaccine injections within one week.
• To compare this response to the standard three-injection regimen with boosters.
• To assess long-lasting immune memory after a single intradermal vaccination followed by boosters.

Main Methods:

• Volunteers received one or three intradermal rabies vaccine injections within one week.
• Antibody responses were measured.
• Booster vaccinations were administered on days 0 and 3, one or three years later for some groups.
• Comparison with a standard three-injection regimen was performed.

Main Results:

• All volunteers demonstrated an accelerated and adequate neutralizing antibody response within seven days after receiving two boosters.
• Three injections within one week were found to be as immunogenic as the standard three injections within four weeks.
• A single 0.1 ml intradermal pre-exposure rabies vaccination primes host immune memory for at least one to three years.

Conclusions:

• Shortened pre-exposure rabies vaccination schedules (e.g., three injections within one week) are as effective as the standard regimen.
• A single intradermal vaccination effectively primes long-lasting immune memory.
• This provides a more flexible and potentially more achievable vaccination strategy for travelers.