Field trial of combined measles and rubella live attenuated vaccine

Abstract

We investigated the antibody responses and clinical adverse reactions after immunization with live combined measles and rubella vaccine (HF vaccine) in 442 healthy children, aged 12-90 months of age. We obtained 368 paired sera. Among them, 363 were initially sero-negative against measles virus and 343 (94.5%) became sero-positive after immunization. Sero-conversion against rubella virus was demonstrated in 349 (96.7%) of 361 initially sero-negatives against rubella virus. We investigated the clinical adverse reactions in 406 recipients. In 102 (25.1%) recipients, febrile reaction (> 37.5 C) developed on the day 6.7 of vaccination on average, with a mean duration of 2.2 days. Only two (0.5%) developed high body temperature over 39.5 C. Skin rash was noted in 87 (21.4%) on day 7.1 of vaccination on average, with a mean duration of 4.8 days. Lymphoadenopathy was demonstrated in 12 (3.0%). Thus, measles and rubella combined vaccine was safe and sufficiently immunogenic as well as each monovalent one, having clinical advantage in immunization practice.