Persistence of Antibody in Human Subjects for 7 to 10 Years following Administration of Combined Live Attenuated Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Virus Vaccines

Abstract

Antibody persistence was measured in children in the open community 10.5 years after combined measles-mumps-rubella (14 children), 9 years after measles-rubella (17 children), 10.5 years after mumps-rubella (9 children), and 7 years after measles-mumps (20 children) vaccines were given. There were increases, declines, and stationary titers among the children in the serum samples taken 6 weeks after vaccination compared with those taken at later time periods. This reflected a decline in antibody in some children and subclinical natural reinfection in others. Importantly, all the children still retained detectable antibody, indicating long-term persistence of immunity by vaccination with combined virus vaccines.