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.
