In addition to the challenge study, the fund will finance a study of the adjuvants used in veterinary rabies vaccines and establish a rabies vaccine adverse reaction reporting system.

Rabies vaccination is the one immunization required by law across the country for domestic dogs and cats. Researchers believe this vaccine causes the most and worst adverse reactions in animals. The Rabies Challenge Fund has been founded to improve the safety of rabies vaccines and to determine, by challenge, if they confer immunity for
5, 6, or 7 years.

The Rabies Challenge Fund's first official sponsors are Deb Odom (Florida) and Dawn Turner (Arizona), who have committed to donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their pet vaccine informed consent posters and informational flyers.

Donations can be sent to

THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND
c/o Hemopet
11330 Markon Drive
Garden Grove, CA 92841

FYI -

There is no difference between a "one-year" and a "three-year" rabies vaccine. They are the same vaccine with different labels. The 1-year vs. 3-year rabies vaccination guidelines are a matter of manufacturer recommendations and local laws, not actual duration of immunity:

"Revaccination: The owner of every dog, cat, or ferret shall have the animal revaccinated 12 months after the initial vaccination. Thereafter, the interval between revaccinations should conform to the manufacturer's written instructions (every 12 months for annual vaccines and every 36 months for triennial vaccines)."

Excerpted from MODEL RABIES CONTROL ORDINANCE (Approved by the AVMA House of Delegates, 1999; revised AVMA EB 2003; 2004)
<http://www.avma.org/pubhlth/rabord.asp>

"MLV vaccines are no longer available for administration in the US; State and local statutes govern the frequency of administration for products labeled as â?o1-Year Rabiesâ?. NOTE: The Rabies (1-year) vaccine is generally administered as the initial dose followed, 1 year
later, by administration of the Rabies (3-year) Vaccine. State and local statutes may dictate otherwise. The composition of 1-year rabies vaccines is not substantially different from that of 3-year rabies vaccines; therefore, no difference in occurrence of adverse events is expected between the 2 vaccines, regardless of manufacturer."
<http://www.dvmvac.com/CRab1Com.html>

"ALL rabies vaccines are 3 year vaccines, whether they are given yearly or not. (A puppy's first rabies vaccination is a 3 year vaccine even though the puppy will be required to have a booster in one year)."
<http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Farm/1050/vaccinations.html>

"Part II: Recommendations for Parenteral Rabies Vaccination Procedures

A. Vaccine Administration. All animal rabies vaccines should
be restricted to use by, or under the direct supervision of a
veterinarian (32) except as recommended in Part I.B.1. All
vaccines must be administered in accordance with the specifications of the product label or package insert.

B. Vaccine Selection. Part III lists all vaccines licensed by
USDA and marketed in the United States at the time of
publication. New vaccine approvals or changes in label
specifications made subsequent to publication should be
considered as part of this list. Any of the listed vaccines
can be used for revaccination, even if the product is not
the same brand previously administered. Vaccines used in
state and local rabies control programs should have a 3-year
duration of immunity. This constitutes the most effective
method of increasing the proportion of immunized dogs
and cats in any population (33). No laboratory or epidemiologic data exist to support the annual or biennial
administration of 3-year vaccines following the initial series."
Excerpted from the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2005 (National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc.)
<http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/RR/RR5403.pdf>

NOTE: See PartT III of the document linked above for a complete list of rabies vaccines licensed and marketed in the United States and the manufacturers' recommendations for revaccination.

More rabies info:

AVMA Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control (2005)
<http://www.avma.org/pubhlth/rabies_compendium_2005.pdf>

CDC Rabies Site Diagnosis, epidemiology, prevention and control. <http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/>

If you need more information contact ZBirdBrain@aol.com