[Immunoprophylaxis of rabies (author's transl)]

In the past Hempt-rabies vaccine produced in the GDR proved to be effective and relatively innocent like other brain-tissue-vaccines. Connected with progress in virology and genetics the production of rabies-vaccines changed to cell culturing techniques. The rabies viruses got adapted to embryonated eggs of chicken and duck, and it multiplies now in tissue-cultures like hamster kidney cells, chicken fibroblasts and human diploid cells too. It is possible now to produce a cell culture vaccine of high efficacy and innocuity, such as those done by Selimov and co-workers in the Soviet-Union. Strain Wnukovo-32 is multiplied on primary kidney cells of syrian hamsters. From 1971 to 1976 about 45,000 persons were vaccinated with the new lyophilized vaccine in the USSR. From April 1976 till October 1977 a comparison in the clinical field was performed in the GDR applying either the Soviet cell culture vaccine or the rabies vaccine after Hempt of the GDR. The results of this test including serological control of induced antibodies allow the pharmaceutical registration of the Soviet vaccine and its exclusive use in a shortened application schedule.