Rubella antibody persistence after immunization

A comparative field trial of three live, attenuated rubella virus vaccines (Cendehill, HPV 77 DE-5, and HPV-77 DK-12) was initiated in 1969 on the islands of Kauai and Hawaii in the state of Hawaii. Following initial seroconversion rates of more than 98%, periodic serological testing of the study population was conducted to assess the durability of vaccine-induced immunity. In February 1980, ten years after the initiation of the study, 741 of the 5,153 original susceptible vaccinees were still enrolled in the study. After a drop of approximately 50% in mean hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) titer for each of the vaccine groups during the first four years following vaccination, the HI titer levels for all three groups have been generally stable between years 4 and 10. The frequency of reversion to an HI titer of less than 10 has remained less than 0.5% per year. A measurable HI antibody level has persisted in more than 97% of all vaccines over the ten-year period. This study indicates that when potent rubella vaccine is administered properly, a high seroconversion rate and a high rate of antibody persistence should be expected.