A new inactivated tissue culture rabies vaccine for use in man. Evaluation of PCEC-vaccine by laboratory tests.

A new inactivated rabies vaccine (purified chick embryo cell vaccine) has been developed using the Flury LEP-C 25 strain of rabies virus propagated in primary chick embryo cell cultures. The antigen was purified and concentrated by continuous density gradient centrifugation and inactivated by betapropiolactone. This vaccine was tested for innocuity, tolerability and protective capacity in a series of laboratory tests and compared with human diploid cell strain (HDC)-vaccines of similar antigenicity. The results indicated that this new vaccine was excellently tolerated and that its protective activity met the high standard of HDC-vaccine, conditions which were imposed on this vaccine before entering clinical trials in man.