Abstract
The incidence and duration of joint complications were investigated in 2989 children who received the HPV-77DK12 rubella vaccine. Two hundred eighty-seven (287) children experienced joint symptoms within 45 days after vaccination. Two hundred twenty-five (225) of these children were contacted 6 months later and three were found to have had recurrences of symptoms.
Histories, physical examinations, and serologic studies were conducted on 11 children, including three from the study group, who manifested recurrent joint symptoms 6–9 months after receiving the dog kidney rubella vaccine. In all cases the original and the recurrent symptoms were in the knees. Symptomatic episodes were 1–4 days in duration and were characterized by pain and limitation of knee extension. On examination of the knees, abnormalities were observed in 5 children. These included limitation of motion, mild tenderness or swelling, and in two cases, synovial thickening. Two other children had reactive tests for rheumatoid factor. The mean rubella HI titer 6–9 months after vaccination was 1:66 among the 11 children with recurrent symptoms. This was lower but not significantly different from the mean HI titer (1:27) of sera collected at the same time from 18 children who had joint symptoms only during the first 45 days following vaccination.
Recurrent joint symptoms may rarely be observed following administration of HPV-77DK12, rubella vaccine. Serologic studies failed to distinguish children with recurrent joint symptoms from controls.
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Spruance, S., Klock, L., Smith, C. et al. Presistent joint symptoms associated with HPV-77DK12 rubella vaccine. Pediatr Res 5, 402–403 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197108000-00131
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197108000-00131