Rubella vaccination: persistence of antibodies for up to 16 years.

Abstract

Sera from 123 volunteers vaccinated six to 16 years previously with one of four rubella vaccines (Cendehill, RA27/3, HPV77-DE5, and To-336) were tested for rubella antibodies by single radial haemolysis and radioimmunoassay. By radioimmunoassay 110 (894%) of the vaccinees had antibody concentrations greater than the minimum immune titre (that is, > 15 000 IU/1), 11 (8 9%) were seropositive but had concentrations < 15000 IU/1, and two (1-6%) were seronegative. Eight (6-5%) were seronegative by single radial haemolysis, of whom five had received Cendehill vaccine. Six to eight years after vaccination subjects who had received Cendehill vaccine had the lowest geometric mean titre of antibody by radioimmunoassay while the subjects who had received HPV77-DE5 vaccine had the highest. Although antibody concentrations < 15 000 IU/l were not detected among subjects given RA27/3 vaccine six to eight years previously, such low levels were detected in two (154%) vaccinated 11-16 years previously.These results emphasise the importance of long-term surveillance programmes so that vaccination policies may be reviewed.

Rubella epidemiology in South East England

“…The present study suggests, in accord with others (O'Shea et al 1982(O'Shea et al ,1984(O'Shea et al ,1985, that antibody levels in vaccinated individuals are on average lower than those in naturally infected individuals; the mean concentrations in teenage and young adult females are lower than in males of the same age (Fig. 3).…”

“…The degree of immunity to rubella infection provided by low concentrations of antibody is unclear. In the present study a low threshold (3-3 i.u./ml) was regarded as indicative of immunity since challenge studies have revealed that low levels of naturally acquired antibody confer immunity to reinfection (Mortimer et al 1981;O'Shea et al 1982O'Shea et al , 1983O'Shea et al , 1984O'Shea et al , 1985. However, it must be remembered that RH does not distinguish between antibody produced in response to natural infection and that produced in response to vaccination, and similar challenge studies suggest low levels of vaccine-induced antibody do not correlate well with protection from reinfection (Balfour et al 1981;Harcourt et al 1980).…”

Duration of Immunity After Rubella Vaccination: A Long-Term Study in Switzerland

“…by tests of humoral antibody (e.g., [10][11][12]). But we were surprised that in our long-term study only three (1070) of 319 women had lost all rubella antibodies 15years after immunization with Cendehill vaccine.…”

Rubella vaccines: past, present and future

“…Horstmann and her colleagues [64] [66,68,70]. Although O'Shea and colleagues [66], working in the UK, showed that 96% of 117 vaccinees had antibodies > 15 i.u./ml when tested 10-21 years after immunization by single radial haemolysis (SRH), EIA and LA, 10% of their vaccinees had antibody concentrations < 15 i.u./ml when tested 5-8 years after immunization [71]. The increase in seropositivity seen suggests that reinfection had boosted antibody concentrations, as rubella virus continued to circulate in the UK at that time.…”