Rubini Strain Research Articles

A look back at 2 mumps outbreaks

Two studies are presented. The first one concerns a mumps outbreak in a kindergarten in Geneva in June 1991. Of 26 children, nine (34.6%) got mumps. Of nine children vaccinated with the Rubini vaccine strain, seven had the disease as opposed to only one of 14 children vaccinated with the Urabe strain. The vaccine efficacy of the Rubini strain was estimated at 22% with a 95% confidence interval of -10% to 45%. The second study concerns a cluster of 112 mumps patients seen by a pediatrician in the Bernese Jura region between September 1992 and May 1993. A case-control study was carried out resulting in a vaccine efficacy estimate of 50% with a 95% confidence interval of -19% to 81%. Of the cases, 51 (45.5%) had been vaccinated against mumps, 50 of them (98%) with the Rubini vaccine strain. Of the controls, 30 (61.2%) had been vaccinated, 86.7% of them with Rubini. Methodological problems of case selection and their possible effects on the estimated vaccine efficacy are discussed. The results of these two studies have been confirmed by more recent investigations. In retrospect, we therefore conclude that small studies can serve as early indicators for epidemiological evidence and that they can be finally integrated into a more complete picture.

Immune response to simultaneous administration of a combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine with booster doses of diphtheria-tetanus and poliovirus vaccine.

A combined vaccine against measles (Edmonston-Zagreb 19 strain), mumps (Rubini strain) and rubella (Wistar RA 27/3 strain) was administered to a group of 46 children aged 10-12 months simultaneously with booster doses of compulsory diphtheria-tetanus toxoid and oral poliovirus vaccine. A second group of 53 children aged 15-24 months who had received booster doses of the compulsory vaccines 5 to 12 months before was also vaccinated. The same seroconversion rates (100%) and similar antibody titers for rubella were observed in both groups. The same seroconversion rates for mumps (93%) and similar rates for measles (98 and 94%) were observed in the two groups. Significantly lower antibody titers for measles and mumps were found in the first group, but they were compensated by an earlier protection, a reduction of number of visits for immunization, costs for the community, and improvement in parental compliance. These results confirm that Edmonston-Zagreb 19 and Rubini strains are still immunogenic even when they are combined with Wistar RA 27/3 strain. Moreover, a long term follow-up in order to verify the persistence of protective antibody levels in both groups of children, could suggest that combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine could be given earlier (at 10-12 months of age), simultaneously with booster doses of diphtheria and tetanus toxoid and of trivalent oral poliovirus vaccine.