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Long-term immunity to measles, mumps and rubella after MMR vaccination among children with bone marrow transplants

V Spoulou1, M Giannaki, M Vounatsou

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Athens University School of Medicine, Greece. vspoulou@cc.uoa.gr

Bone Marrow Transplantation
|April 13, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Children receiving a bone marrow transplant (BMT) showed poor long-term immunity to measles and mumps after a single measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine dose. A second MMR dose is recommended for these pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Pediatrics
  • Vaccinology

Background:

  • Bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients often have impaired immune systems.
  • Assessing vaccine-induced immunity is crucial for immunocompromised populations.
  • Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine efficacy in BMT survivors requires evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the long-term immunogenicity of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine in children post-bone marrow transplant (BMT).
  • To determine the persistence of vaccine-induced antibody levels for measles, mumps, and rubella antigens up to 12 months post-vaccination.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study involving 30 pediatric patients who underwent BMT.
  • Serological assessment of MMR vaccine-induced immunity at baseline, 1 month, and 12 months post-vaccination.
  • Analysis of antibody avidity for rubella to assess immune response quality.

Main Results:

  • Baseline immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella was low (13.3%, 33.3%, 66.6%).
  • A single MMR dose induced suboptimal and short-lived immunity to measles (26.6% at 1 month, 23.3% at 12 months) and mumps (46.6% at 1 month, 36.6% at 12 months).
  • Robust and persistent immunity was observed for rubella (27/30 immune at 1 month, maintained at 12 months) with high avidity antibodies.

Conclusions:

  • A single MMR vaccination 2 years post-BMT provides inadequate and transient protection against measles and mumps in pediatric recipients.
  • The MMR vaccine elicits strong and durable immunity against rubella in this population.
  • A second dose of the MMR vaccine should be considered for pediatric BMT recipients to improve measles and mumps protection.

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