Long-term immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella viruses was studied in 57 patients after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Among patients who were seropositive at the time of transplant, 51% had retained antibodies to measles, 42% had retained antibodies to mumps, and 76% had retained antibodies to rubella 2 y later. There was no difference in the ability to retain antibodies to these viruses between patients with and those without chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Twenty seronegative patients without active chronic GVHD or ongoing immunosuppressive treatment were vaccinated with a live attenuated trivalent vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella. No early or late side effects were detected after the vaccinations. The percentages of patients who seroconverted after vaccination were 77%, 64%, and 75% for measles, mumps, and rubella, respectively. Vaccination of transplant recipients with a live attenuated vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella is safe and usually effective 2 y after transplant if the patients do not have active chronic GVHD or ongoing immunosuppressive treatment at the time of vaccination.

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In 1982 a two dose regimen was introduced in Sweden for the combined vaccination against measles, mumps, and rubella of children aged 18 months and 12 years. Since 1977 about half of the preschool children were vaccinated against measles annually, and since 1974 about 80% of 12 year old girls were vaccinated against rubella. During the period 1982 to 1985 90-93% of the eligible age cohorts of 18 month old children and 88-91% of the 12 year old children were inmunised with the new combined vaccine. A study in 1982 of about 140 18 month old children who were nearly all seronegative before vaccination showed that 96%, 92%, and 99% seroconverted against measles, mumps, and rubella, respectively. A second study was carried out in 1983 of 247 12 year old children, of whom 11% lacked antibodies to measles, 27% to mumps, and 45% to rubella. This showed seroconversion in 82% and 80% against measles and mumps, respectively, and all children seroconverted against rubella. In the latest study in 1985 of 496 12 year olds 9% and 13% were seronegative against measles and mumps before vaccination, and 41% against rubella. Of these, 88% seroconverted to measles and 80% to mumps, and all converted to rubella when sera were tested bythehaemolysis in gelmethod. Aftera neutralisation test against measles as well all children showed immunity to the disease.

ABSTRACT. The vaccine response to poliovirus, diphtheria and tetanus toxoids in relation to protein intake was studied in infants, either breast‐fed or given low (1.1 g/100 ml) or conventional (1.5 g/100 ml) protein formula. Serum, salivá and faeces antibodies were measured by the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Neutralizing poliovirus antibodies were determined. The serum, saliva and faeces antibody responses in the two formula‐fed groups of infants did not differ significantly, but for the low protein formula group which had significantly higher serum neutralizing titres to poliovirus after the second vaccine dose than the conventional formula group. However, the breast‐fed group had significantly higher antibody levels than the two formula‐fed groups together: serum IgG to diphtheria toxoid (p<0.01) and serum neutralization of poliovirus (p<0.001) at 21‐40 months of age, saliva secretory IgA to tetanus (p<0.01), diphtheria toxoid (p<0.01) and poliovirus (p<0.05), as well as faecal IgM to tetanus toxoid (p<0.05) and poliovirus (p <0.01 and p <0.05) at 3 and 4 months of age. Breast‐fed infants thus showed better serum and secretory responses to peroral and parenteral vaccines than the formula‐fed, whether with a conventional or low protein content.