I'm currently in the process of importing a dog and the vet in that country has completed the rabies vaccine using Enduracell 8 and written on the pet passport that it is valid for 3 years.  Great news for someone who dislikes chemical vaccination! 

Googling has revealed Pzizer (who manufacture this vaccine) state it provides protection against rabies for this length of time but my query is - if we intend to show abroad would you advise I vaccinate again prior to this as I'm concerned we may encounter problems re-entering UK?

Anyone any experience of this vaccine?
Thanks.

I sent my male out to USA on a 2 yr duration rabies vacine with no problems on renetry to the UK 22 mths later.

Thanks :-)

You won't have an issue re-entering UK as long as you booster before the valid until date, but some European countries and others require yearly Rabies.

So before travelling to these you will need to boost, and of course will have a new valid until date..

Thanks Barbara.
:-)

>So before travelling to these you will need to boost, and of course will have a new valid until date..

I'm not sure if this is right - I believe that France requires annual rabies boosters and I have been back and forth frequently with a 3yr rabies jab on both my dogs, with no problems.

It is the UK which require a valid rabies jab (3 yr is fine), to allow you to re-enter the country.  The law in France only applies to dogs resident in France - I checked this.

Thanks rabid. :-)

I received an informative response from DEFRA which may help others regarding vaccination requirements.

Please be advised that rabies booster vaccinations in the UK are given as per the manufacturers data sheet provided with the vaccine. This can be between 1 to 3 years depending on the vaccine administered. 

However, in some EU countries annual vaccinations are required. Please note that it is the "valid until" date written in the passport which is taken into account when travelling under the pet travel scheme. Therefore in EU countries, when this is filled out as 1 year later, in order to comply with regulations despite the medical validity of the vaccine, this written validity is the one taken into account. Animals do not need to comply with the annual vaccination requirements unless classed as "residents" of the country in question. This is normally after a stay of 3 months or more. 

Just to clarify, for an animal to enter (or return to) the UK by use of the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) and thus avoid quarantine, the following procedures must be carried out in the stated order:

1). Animal is micro-chipped, then

2). It is vaccinated against rabies, and then*

3). A blood sample is taken and sent to a European Union (EU) approved laboratory for testing.  If the required level of antibodies is reached, the animal may enter the UK 6 calendar months after the date that the sample was drawn, assuming that all other rules of the scheme are met.

*Your veterinarian should check the datasheet of the rabies vaccine used in order to ascertain when the blood test should be taken.


Please note that steps 2 and 3 above must be carried out in a PETS listed country and that your pet must remain within PETS listed countries.  Entry into an unlisted country would mean your pet could no longer be deemed UK PETS compliant and all PETS preparations (with the exception of the microchip) would have to be started again, whilst in a listed country.

The documentation required is a passport.

Further to this, pets must be treated against ticks and tapeworm not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours before checking in with a PETS authorised carrier (on a PETS approved route), for the journey that brings the pet into the UK.

From 27 May 2010,  a new EU law  was introduced which limits the number of pets (dogs, cats and ferrets) that can be moved between EU countries under the pet passport system.  From that date, only five pets per owner can be moved at any one time.  This rule also applies to pets entering the EU from Andorra, Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and The Vatican.   For pets entering the EU from other countries, the limit of five pets has been in place since 2004.

For further information on how to prepare your pet for export to the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), including documentary requirements and approved routes and carriers, please see the link below:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/procedures/owners.htm



Hi - Yes, this is the relevant bit:

>Animals do not need to comply with the annual vaccination requirements unless classed as "residents" of the country in question. This is normally after a stay of 3 months or more. 

That is good to know.  I must admit that the dogs I know best actually live in France and have to have their dogs boosted despite not needing to for return to UK on the UK Pet travel scheme.