Effect on immunity to challenge and antibody response of variation in dosage schedule of rabies vaccine in mice.

Groups of mice were immunized with the same total quantity of an ultraviolet irradiated killed virus vaccine given in varying numbers of divided doses spaced at varying time intervals. All mice were bled just before being challenged by intracerebral inoculation of fixed virus and the sera tested for level of neutralizing antibodies. All dosage schedules produced immunity and good antibody levels. Twelve daily doses of vaccine gave no better results than the same amount of vaccine divided into 3 or 4 doses. A dose of vaccine at or after the 10th day from the start of immunization seemed to act as a "booster" to the primary response to the earlier doses.