Twenty-three-year follow-up study of rubella antibodies after immunization in a closed population, and serological response to revaccination.
Twenty-six institutionalized children immunized with a Japanese rubella vaccine, Matsuba strain, have been observed for 23 years and the persistence of vaccine-induced rubella immunity documented. All vaccinees were shown to have seroconverted to rubella virus in a haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test, and the geometric mean titre (GMT) of rubella HI antibody rose to 2 5-8 months after vaccination (Ueda et al., Acta Paediatrica Japonica, Overseas Edition 1978, 20, 8-14). The GMT then declined gradually to 2 23 years after inoculation, except in four cases (15.4%) which had reverted to negative. However, three of the four maintained a rubella HI antibody titre of 1:4. Twelve of the 26 vaccinees were revaccinated 24 years after primary vaccination, and all ten cases having initial titres of < or = 1:16 demonstrated secondary responses. Rubella immunity induced by vaccination had persisted, so routine booster immunization did not seem necessary. However, a second immunization programme should be considered to achieve high antibody-positive rates and to protect against primary vaccine failure.
Asahi
T
T
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Ueda
K
K
Hidaka
Y
Y
Miyazaki
C
C
Tanaka
Y
Y
Nishima
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D008297:Male; D012409:Rubella / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012411:Rubella Vaccine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012411:Rubella Vaccine