Neuroparalytic Illness and Human Diploid Cell Rabies Vaccine

Abstract

An 11-year-old boy had a transient neuroparalytic illness that began three days after completing postexposure rabies prophylaxis with human diploid cell rabies vaccine (HDCV); he completely recovered within 12 weeks. Of 47,000 persons treated with HDCV in the United States from June 1980 through May 1982, this is the only verified case of neuroparalytic illness temporally associated with the vaccine administration. No cause-and-effect relationship was established. (<i>JAMA</i>1982;248:3136-3138)