Post exposure rabies prophylaxis with Purified Verocell Rabies Vaccine: a study of immunoresponse in pregnant women and their matched controls.

The present controlled clinical trial evaluates the immunoresponse to Purified Verocell Rabies Vaccnine (PVRV) by Essen schedule of vaccination during Pregnancy. Seventeen Pregnant women with history of animal bites who received PVRV as per Essen regimen were matched for the confounding variables of age, socio-economic status and doses of PVRV received with seventeen "Non-pregnant women". The mean age was about 24 years, majority (70.6%) belonging to middle socio-economic group and received 3 doses of PVRV. Contrary to the expectations the rabies neutralizing antibody titres were slightly higher in pregnant women (except day 180) but the difference was not significant (P > 0.2). Both the groups of women had antibody titres above protective level (0.5 IU/ml) from day 14 till day 365 thus indicating immunogenic efficacy of PVRV by Essen regimen during Pregnancy.