The present invention relates to recombinant raccoon poxvirus vectors thatexpress the rabies virus glycoprotein gene at the hemagglutinin (ha) locus ofthe poxvirus genome or express the glycoprotein gene of the same or differentrabies strains at the thymidine kinase (tk) and the hemagglutinin (ha) loci ofthe poxvirus genome, and their use as adjuvant-free vaccines. The raccoon poxvirusvector comprises the nucleic acid molecules encoding the glycoprotein of a ChallengeVirus Standard rabies strain inserted and expressed at the tk locus of the poxvirusgenome and of a Pasteur-Paris rabies strain inserted and expressed at the ha locusof the poxvirus genome. The vaccine may optionally contain a mixture of additionalfeline and canine antigens for immunization of animals. Also disclosed are methodsfor inducing an immune response to rabies in a mammal by administering to the mammalan effective immunizing amount of the vaccine of the invention.
