Abstract
Experience with attenuated rubella virus (strain HPV-77) indicates that infections in vaccinees are asymptomatic and non-communicable. HPV-77 is fully immunogenic when given parenterally but much less so intranasally. Ninety-six % of 51 subjects given 10 to 10,000 tissue culture infectious dose50 (TCID50) subcutaneously developed antibodies while only 2 of 26 sero-converted after intranasal inoculation. None of 49 susceptible contacts of vaccines was infected. Antibodies evoked by HPV-77 remained unchanged in titer in 30 persons followed for 1 year. In a group with natural rubella, antibodies also followed a plateaucurve but were 8 to 16 times higher throughout. Vaccine dosage did not influence antibody response; inoculation of 10,100,1000 or 10,000 TCID50 of attenuated virus resulted in similar levels of antibodies. Persons with prior immunity from natural rubella had antibody increases in 2 of 17 instances after rubella exposure and in 3 of 12 after HPV-77 vaccination; none had illness or excreted virus. Five children with antibodies from vaccination 8 to 12 months earlier were challenged intranasally with 200 TCID50 of unmodified virus. All remained asymptomatic and virus was not recovered from pharyngeal swabs or blood. Antibody levels increased in two. Five controls similarly challenged developed typical rubella with virus excretion and viremia. These observations suggest: 1. the HPV-77 strain is a safe and effective immunizing agent; 2. vaccine-induced immunity persists for long periods; 3. under natural conditions rubella exposure may be important in insuring life-long immunity; 4. attenuated virus vaccine can boost antibody levels of persons with declining immunity. (APS)
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Meyer, H., Parkman, P. & Panos, T. 34 Clinical Experience with Natural and Atentuated Rubella Virus Infection. Pediatr Res 1, 209 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-196705000-00041
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-196705000-00041