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Bureau of Community Public Health Medicine

Information for County Health Departments and Animal Control Agencies

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Updated Guidance - ACIP votes to recommend reduced rabies vaccination series

ACIP Provisional Recommendations (PDF)

At the June 24, 2009 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting, the rabies working group presented evidence in support of a recommendation to reduce the number of vaccine doses in the human rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) series from 5 to 4 doses.  After much discussion, ACIP voted in favor of accepting the recommendation. 

This will effectively change the 2008 ACIP recommendations (PDF) for human rabies prevention as follows: the  PEP series will consist of the administration of human rabies immune globulin (20IU/kg body weight) on day 0 and 4 doses of vaccine (1ml administered intramuscularly) on days 0, 3, 7, and 14.  Formal publication of the recommendations will be forthcoming.  Additional information on ACIP, and minutes of past meetings, can be found at the ACIP website.

Morbidity and Mortality Week Report: Use of a Reduced (4-Dose) Vaccine Schedule for Postexposure Prophylaxis to Prevent Human Rabies (PDF)