Dynamics of the Antibody Response After a Third Dose of Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine Indicate a Slower Decline Compared With a Second Dose

Patricia Kaaijk; M Alina Nicolaie; Debbie van Rooijen; Marianne A van Houten; Fiona R van der Klis; Anne-Marie Buisman; Rob S van Binnendijk

doi:10.1093/ofid/ofaa505

Dynamics of the Antibody Response After a Third Dose of Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine Indicate a Slower Decline Compared With a Second Dose

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020 Oct 20;7(11):ofaa505. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa505. eCollection 2020 Nov.

Authors

Patricia Kaaijk¹, M Alina Nicolaie¹, Debbie van Rooijen¹, Marianne A van Houten², Fiona R van der Klis¹, Anne-Marie Buisman¹, Rob S van Binnendijk¹

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
² Spaarne Gasthuis Academy, Hoofddorp, the Netherlands.

Abstract

Background: Breakthrough infections of measles and mumps have raised concerns about the duration of vaccine-induced immunity, which might be improved by a third dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR3).

Methods: Here we compared (IgG) antibody levels against measles, mumps, and rubella in blood samples of 9-year-old children and young adults (18-25 years) following MMR2 and MMR3, respectively.

Results: We found that, in addition to antibody boosting for all 3 vaccine components, MMR3 resulted in lower antibody decay rates than MMR2; the declines were most prominent for mumps and rubella.

Conclusions: This study suggests that MMR3 provides long-lasting seroprotection against measles, mumps, and rubella.

Keywords: antibody response; humoral immunity; measles; mumps; rubella; seroprotection; vaccine; waning.