A single center, open label study of intradermal administration of an inactivated purified chick embryo cell culture rabies virus vaccine in adults

Abstract In the USA, rabies vaccines (RVs) are licensed for intramuscular (IM) use only, although RVs are licensed for use by the intradermal (ID) route in many other countries. Recent limitations in supplies of RV in the USA reopened discussions on the more efficient use of available biologics, including utilization of more stringent risk assessments, and potential ID RV administration. A clinical trial was designed to compare the immunogenic and adverse effects of a purified chicken embryo cell (PCEC) RV administered ID or IM. Enrollment was designed in four arms, ID Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Pre-EP), IM Pre-EP, ID Booster, and IM Booster vaccination. Enrollment included 130 adult volunteers. The arms with IM administration received vaccine according to the current ACIP recommendations: Pre-EP, three 1 mL (2.5 I.U.) RV doses, each on day 0, 7, and 21; or a routine Booster, one 1 ml dose. The ID groups received the same schedule, but doses administered were in a volume of 0.1 mL (0.25 I.U.). The rate of increase in rabies virus neutralizing antibody titers 14–21 days after vaccination were similar in the ID and correspondent IM groups. The GMT values for ID vaccination were slightly lower than those for IM vaccination, for both naive and booster groups, and these differences were statistically significant by t -test. Fourteen days after completing vaccination, all individuals developed RV neutralizing antibody titers over the minimum arbitrary value obtained with the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT). Antibodies were over the set threshold until the end of the trial, 160 days after completed vaccination. No serious adverse reactions were reported. Most frequent adverse reactions were erythema, induration and tenderness, localized at the site of injection. Multi use of 1 mL rabies vaccine vials for ID doses of 0.1 was demonstrated to be both safe and inmunogenic.