Two-year comparative trial on the immunogenicity and adverse effects of purified chick embryo cell rabies vaccine for pre-exposure immunization

The human diploid cell rabies vaccine (HDCV) has been shown to be highly immunogenic when used for pre-exposure immunization. However, the high cost of the product and the adverse reactions seen following booster doses of HDCV have limited its use. A purified chick embryo cell (PCEC) rabies vaccine was compared with the HDCV by two routes of administration for reactogenicity, antibody response, duration of antibody, and anamestic response to boosters over a 2 year period. The study showed that the two vaccines were comparable in their immunogenicity and reactogenicity after initial three dose series. No adverse reactions were noted following the 2 year booster with PCEC. The PCEC can be produced at less than one-half the cost of the HDCV.