RT Journal
A1 PREBLUD SR, NIEBURG PI, BRANDLING-BENNETT A, HINMAN AR, HERRMANN KL
T1 RUbella vaccination
JF American Journal of Diseases of Children
JO American Journal of Diseases of Children
YR 1979
FD November 1
VO 133
IS 11
SP 1202
OP 1202
DO 10.1001/archpedi.1979.02130110110026
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.1979.02130110110026
AB Sir.—We wish to comment on the recent article in the Journal by Balfour and Amren (132:573-577, 1978) and the subsequent commentary by Dudgeon (132:748-750, 1978) regarding rubella vaccine-induced immunity. The rubella geometric mean titers (GMTs) of seropositive persons reported by Balfour and Amren are lower than those usually seen in vaccine recipients.1.2 This fact plus the unusually high rate of seronegativity, which they acknowledge, suggest that the antibody assay system they used was relatively insensitive. Were the results obtained when the sera were sent to Cincinnati similar to those obtained locally in incidence of seronegativity and in GMT?We agree with Balfour and Amren that "the critical issue is whether the seronegative girls are truly susceptible to rubella." We do not believe, however, that "the only way" to find out is to challenge them with wild rubella virus. Instead, we agree with the suggestion made previously by these