Is the Rabies Vaccine a Live Vaccine?
No, the rabies vaccine is NOT a live vaccine—all rabies vaccines licensed in the United States are inactivated (killed) vaccines. 1
Vaccine Composition
All currently available rabies vaccines in the United States are inactivated vaccines that contain killed rabies virus:
Human Diploid Cell Vaccine (HDCV): Prepared from rabies virus grown in human diploid cell culture and inactivated with betapropiolactone 1
Purified Chick Embryo Cell Vaccine (PCECV): Prepared from rabies virus grown in chicken fibroblasts and inactivated with betapropiolactone 1
Rabies Vaccine Adsorbed (RVA): Prepared from rabies virus adapted to fetal rhesus lung diploid cell culture and inactivated with betapropiolactone 1
Clinical Implications
Because rabies vaccines are inactivated rather than live:
They can be safely administered to immunocompromised patients, including solid-organ transplant recipients, when rabies exposure occurs 1
They cannot cause rabies infection since the virus is completely killed during the manufacturing process 1
They require multiple doses to generate adequate immune response, as inactivated vaccines generally produce weaker immunity than live vaccines 1, 2
They work by inducing active antibody production over 7-10 days, which is why rabies immune globulin (passive immunity) must be given concurrently for postexposure prophylaxis 1
Important Safety Distinction
This is a critical distinction from smallpox vaccine (vaccinia), which IS a live attenuated vaccine and is absolutely contraindicated in immunocompromised patients including transplant recipients 1. The inactivated nature of rabies vaccines makes them fundamentally safer for vulnerable populations when exposure necessitates vaccination.