[Rubella vaccination: antibody persistence for 14-17 years and immune status of women without and with a history of vaccination].

Out of 1045 women who had been successfully vaccinated with Cendehill vaccine, 195 were tested for rubella antibodies 13-17 years later and still 98% were seropositive with a geometric mean titer (GMT) of 2-5.4 (1:42). In 7.8% and 21.6% only borderline or low hemagglutination inhibition (HAl) titer were found. A reinfection rate of 12.2% was determined by significant titer rises and IgM antibody detection in 466 vaccinees with 3 or more blood samples during the observation period. Out of 312 successfully vaccinated girls aged 11-16 years with HPV77DE5 and RA 27/3, 130 could be retested 14 years later and all were found seropositive with a GMT of 2-5.8. Low HAl titers of 1:16 have been found in 6.2% (8 cases). The rubella immune status of 11,0978 postpubertal and pregnant women in South-West Germany was determined between 1981 and 1987. 9824 of these women had a history of vaccination and only 2.4% were seronegative in contrast to 8.2% of 101,154 women with no history of vaccination. There was a significantly higher prevalence of low levels (HAl 1:8, 1:16) of antibodies among women with a history of vaccination (19.4%) than among those without (10.6%, p less than 0.001). The effect of reinfection in pregnancy following previous vaccination on the newborn is discussed.