title: Long-term immunity to measles, mumps and rubella after MMR vaccination among children with bone marrow transplants.
abstract: Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine-induced long-term immunity was studied in 30 children with bone marrow transplants (BMT). Immunity at baseline for MMR was 13.3, 33.3 and 66.6%, respectively. MMR vaccination failed to induce adequate and persistent responses to measles and mumps; seropositivity at 1 and 12 months for measles was 26.6 and 23.3% and for mumps 46.6 and 36.6%, respectively. In contrast, 27 of 30 children with a BMT were immune to rubella 1 month after immunization and retained protective antibody levels at 12 months. The MMR-induced anamnestic responses to rubella among all responders were associated with the production of high avidity antibodies. We conclude that a single dose of MMR given at 2 years after BMT induces suboptimal and short-lived immune responses to measles and mumps; a second dose should be recommended for paediatric BMT recipients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Athens University School of Medicine, Greece. vspoulou@cc.uoa.gr
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Spoulou
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giannaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vounatsou
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bakoula
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grafakos
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D000917:Antibody Formation; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009107:Mumps / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012409:Rubella / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013997:Time Factors; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine