Evaluating Rabies Vaccine Safety in Puppies

Some vaccines may have substantial impacts on health that are not explained by the protection they provide against specific targeted diseases. This effect is thought to be influenced by factors like the type of vaccine, the age and sex of recipients, and the prevalence of other infectious diseases in the population. Although often beneficial, these impacts may in certain circumstances be detrimental. Some evidence exists that certain types of rabies vaccines may increase resistance to unrelated diseases (a beneficial non-specific effect), while other types may decrease resistance, particularly in females. In this study, researchers will test two types of rabies vaccines to determine if there is an effect on the susceptibility to unrelated infectious and parasitic diseases in young puppies living in a low-resource community in Africa. The team also wants to see if any effect differs by sex (male versus female puppies). Through this study, the team hopes to better understand the mechanism of action of any non-specific effects of rabies vaccines, so that potentially beneficial effects might be harnessed, and any detrimental effects mitigated through informed reformulation of existing vaccines or vaccination schedules.