Persistence of vaccine-induced immune responses to rubella: comparison with natural infection

Serologic responses and patterns of antibody persistence in children given HPV-77 DE-5 or RA27/3 vaccine were compared with those in children who had experienced natural infection. The results indicated that both vaccines induce long-lasting immunity in most individuals. RA27/3 vaccine proved more immunogenic and resulted in higher antibody titers; after 11 years 95% of those who seroconverted who were tested had hemagglutination-inhibiting (HAI) antibodies and 100% had neutralizing (NT) antibodies. Titers in HPV-77 DE-5 vaccinees were lower, and in 16% of those whose immune responses were feeble, HAI titers decreased to less than 1:8 after nine to 12 years; however, when their sera were examined by the more sensitive latex-agglutination test, all but two were found to have specific rubella antibody at levels of 1:1 to 1:16. Natural infection with wild virus was shown to induce more vigorous immune responses than did either vaccine: antibody titers were higher, decreases were smaller, and none fell to less than 1:8 (HAI) or less than 1:4 (NT).