Failure to Transmit Rubella Virus Vaccine

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Abstract
Attenuated rubella viruses retain the property of pharyngeal shedding and might cause unrestricted secondary infections in susceptible contacts of vaccinees. To test this possibility, Cendehill rubella vaccine was administered to 15 susceptible women whose husbands were without detectable rubella hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibody. All women developed antibody after immunization. No male spouses had HI antibody eight weeks after administration of the vaccine to the women, or approximately five weeks after the expected period of pharyngeal virus shedding. Lack of spread of rubella vaccine virus among young married couples with close physical contact is further evidence for the low transmissibility of these viruses.