Antibody persistence for 3 years following two doses of tetravalent measles–mumps–rubella–varicella vaccine in healthy children

• Published in: European journal of pediatrics Vol. 171; no. 3; pp. 463 - 470
• Main Authors: Knuf, Markus, Zepp, Fred, Helm, Klaus, Maurer, Hartwig, Prieler, Albrecht, Kieninger-Baum, Dorothee, Douha, Martine, Willems, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.03.2012; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antibodies; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Chicken pox; Chickenpox - immunology; Chickenpox Vaccine - administration & dosage; Chickenpox Vaccine - immunology; Child, Preschool; Children; Combined vaccines; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; Follow-Up Studies; General aspects; Herpesvirus 3, Human - immunology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunity; Immunization Schedule; Immunofluorescence; Immunogenicity; Infant; Infectious diseases; Measles; Measles - immunology; Measles virus - immunology; Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine - administration & dosage; Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine - immunology; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mumps; Mumps - immunology; Mumps virus - immunology; Original Paper; Pediatrics; Rubella; Rubella - immunology; Rubella virus - immunology; Vaccination; Vaccines; Vaccines, Combined; Varicella; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the respiratory system and ent viral diseases; Viral diseases with cutaneous or mucosal lesions and viral diseases of the eye; Belgium; Austria; Germany; Varicella; MMRV vaccine; Varicella vaccine; Mumps neutralization; Human; Pediatrics; Rubella; Skin disease; Antibody; Vaccination; Vaccine; Infection; Persistence; Prevention; Immunoprophylaxis; Viral disease; Measles; Mumps; Dose; Child; Neutralization
• DOI: 10.1007/s00431-011-1569-4
• ISSN: 0340-6199; 1432-1076

Two doses of a varicella-containing vaccine in healthy children <12 years are suggested to induce better protection than a single dose. Persistence of immunity against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella as well as varicella breakthrough cases were assessed 3 years after two-dose measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccination or concomitant MMR (Priorix™) and varicella (Varilrix™) vaccination. Four hundred ninety-four healthy children, 12–18 months old at the time of the first dose, received either two doses of MMRV vaccine (GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals) 42–56 days apart (MMRV, N  = 371) or one dose of MMR and varicella vaccines administered simultaneously at separate sites, followed by another MMR vaccination 42–56 days later (MMR + V, N  = 123). Three hundred-four subjects participated in 3-year follow-up for persistence of immunity and occurrence of breakthrough varicella (MMRV, N  = 225; MMR + V, N  = 79). Antibodies were measured by ELISA (measles, mumps, rubella) and immunofluorescence (varicella). Contacts with individuals with varicella or zoster and cases of breakthrough varicella disease were recorded. Three years post-vaccination seropositivity rates in subjects seronegative before vaccination were: MMRV-measles, 98.5% (geometric mean titer [GMT] = 3,599.6); mumps, 97.4% (GMT = 1,754.5); rubella, 100% (GMT = 51.9); varicella, 99.4% (GMT = 225.5); MMR + V-measles, 97.0% (GMT = 1,818.8); mumps, 93.8% (GMT = 1,454.6); rubella, 100% (GMT = 53.8); and varicella, 96.8% (GMT = 105.8). Of the subjects, 15–20% reported contact with individuals with varicella/zoster each year. After 3 years, the cumulative varicella breakthrough disease rate was 0.7% (two cases) in the MMRV group and 5.4% (five cases) in the MMR + V group. Conclusion : Immunogenicity of the combined MMRV vaccine was sustained 3 years post-vaccination. (208136/041/NCT00406211).