Anti-rabies blood tests

We live in Greece and some time back took in a stray that we have has spayed and vaccinated fully. Her last re-vaccination against rabies was last May. We have now decided to do a bit of travelling with her and will be driving through Europe to the UK.
She has a European Pet Passport but for the UK I now need a blood test done.
The Greek vet here says before she can do this and send it to the necessary laboratory the dog has to have another anti-rabies injection, then after 5 weeks she will do the blood test.
My query is:-
Why does the dog have to have yet another anti-rabies injection?
Can the dog be "over vaccinated"?

thanks

hi

we have started giving two vaccines on the recomendation of defra as we were getting a few 'fails' before then.

It won't hurt to have double vacc's no harm will come to the dog.

Enjoy your travelling xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Are you 100% sure on this? In a perfect world vaccinations wouldbe totally safe but they are not free of side effects of adverse reactions so I think it's very sensible of the OP to question how essential a second jab is.

It is sensible to ask yes... all my dogs are rabied vaccinated thats why I answered the question and the dog was vaccinated May so the vaccinations are not back to back. Defro has changed it requirements now for rabies vaccines and if my memory serves me well its not a ''live'' vaccine used. So yes it will be fine. I worked as a veternary nurse for over 20 odd years and have since dogs have required rabies vacc to travel I personally have never seen a reaction to rabies vacc

the rabies vac is very safe
..... and actually if a passport is required there is no way around it,2 vaccines are needed

The 2nd vaccination is not necessary for dogs over 12 weeks of age & the test can be done @ any time after the vaccination, 28 days is the norm.

I cannot understand why DEFRA would advise everyone to have 2 vaccinations done-certainly not the advice on their website nor in their literature

already said why, we were getting fails... none sinse changing the protocol.

If this is right why haven't all my dogs had to have 2 vaccinations & all the BCs have PPs(except Keewee who has yet to have her single rabies shot)

From the DEFRA site advice to Vets page

The wording is Vaccination not vaccinations

Puppies cannot be vaccinated under the age of 12 weeks so ergo the dog only requires one shot

How come your practice to be getting so many fails that you go against the manufacturers protocol ??

Just been chatting to my Vet about PP & they have yet to have a single failure/false reading & they do lots of dogs(& cats)since the inception of the PP