Efficacy and immune response to rubella subunits vaccines.

Antibody and cell-mediated immunity (CMI) was measured in rabbits immunized with wild or attenuated virus and in rabbits vaccinated with a rubella subunit vaccine containing the viral envelope or nucleocapsid. The data presented show that a subunit vaccine containing the envelope proteins could induce a good antibody and CMI response. The results also suggest that such a vaccine was highly effective since 60 per cent of the rabbits immunized with the envelope proteins were protected when challenged with wild virus. This protection rate was identical as the protection achieved with a live attenuated vaccine.