How often should your dog receive the rabies vaccination?

A recent article in the Star Tribune “Vets are giving rabies vaccine too frequently” follows up on the 2011 recommendation of the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine.  In 2011, the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine strongly recommended that veterinarians follow vaccine manufacturers’ duration of immunity labels.  Manufacturers of rabies vaccines for dogs recommend giving the vaccination to puppies, providing a booster one year later, then giving it once every three years.  Despite these recommendations, some veterinarians continue to give the rabies vaccine to adult dogs once every two years--or even annually!  Based on duration of immunity research and manufacturers’ recommendations, Westgate Pet Clinic has given (even prior to 2011), and continues to give the rabies vaccination once every three years to adult dogs.