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Originally Posted by BabyGirl Rosie  Does the rabies vaccine last for one year or three years? I have seen different things about this. Does anyone know or know a site that I can research it on that provides accurate information? Vets in my area recommend it yearly. |
Puppies should get 2 Rabies vaccines within one year, depending on state law the first is anywhere from 2 months to 6 months, and the 2nd at 12 months of age. Medically, this is to establish immunity in the pup.
Boosters have been given given yearly, until more recently because it has been medically proven that yearly boosters do not increase the immunity in dogs and cats, and may cause more harm than good.
Still, the area in which ones lives determines the frequency of the Rabies booster requirements, and that is determined by the number of Rabies cases reported for any given area, usually in the prior year. This is why each county may have different requirements than the state.
Medically, the actual Rabies vaccine is the same. If one acquires an older dog with either a questionable or unknown vaccine history, it is recommended the dog get two Rabies vaccines within the first year of ownership to establish the dog's immunity, then go on to either 1 or 3 year boosters, determined by the law.
Medically, the Rabies vaccine may provide immunity in pets 5-15 years or longer, but because Rabies is a zoonotic disease (threat to humans), the laws dictate the frequency of revaccination, not the medical community.
In some states, a waiver may be obtained to decline the vaccine for health reasons of the pet, or a titer may be required to prove immunity of the individual pet.
You may want to call around to different vets in your specific area to see if all of them are doing yearly or every 3 year Rabies boosters... or the state dog licensing bureau would know bc licenses would not be issued to pets not UTD on their Rabies vaccs.