RABIES VACCINATION FOR POLIOMYELITIS

To the Editor:  —Considerable publicity has been given recently in the lay press to the use of rabies vaccination for prophylaxis of poliomyelitis. Since rabies vaccine has the possible hazard of producing allergic encephalomyelitis in vaccinated persons, it should obviously be used only when there are proved indications. The following immunologic studies of the relationship between the poliomyelitis and rabies viruses were carried out in my laboratory.Groups of Swiss mice were vaccinated at weekly intervals with three intraperitoneal injections (0.5 cc.) of ultraviolet irradiated poliomyelitis or rabies vaccines. The irradiated poliomyelitis and rabies vaccines were completely inactivated and prepared as previously (J. Immunol. 50:317 and 331, 1945). On the 21st day after the first vaccination, the mice were given approximately 10 and 100 LD₅₀ units of the Lansing strain of poliomyelitis virus or fixed rabies virus. In a series of three experiments involving over 200 mice, no