How does oral rabies vaccine work?
The Fairfax County Oral Rabies Vaccine Pilot Program uses Raboral VR-G®, the only oral rabies vaccine licensed by the US Department of Agriculture. Raboral VR-G® is manufactured by Merial, Ltd., Iselin, NJ. It is made using live vaccine virus that is genetically altered through the addition of a part of the rabies virus that stimulates immunity to the disease of rabies. This type of vaccine is referred to as a recombinant vectored vaccine, that is, “re-combined” genetic material from the rabies virus and the vaccinia viruses carried by the vaccinia virus, the “vector.” When a raccoon takes oral rabies vaccine into its mouth, the vaccinia virus enters the raccoon’s cells. The cells then produce a part of the rabies virus called rabies virus glycoprotein that then causes the raccoon’s immune system to begin producing disease-fighting antibodies against the rabies virus. The raccoon thereby becomes immune to rabies. Because the raccoon’s disease defense system has learned how to fight the
