Brunton, J.S.; Theiler, R.N.; Mehta, R.; Branda, M.E.; Enninga, E.A.L.; Torbenson, V.E. Efficacy of Rubella Vaccination after Co-Inoculation with Rhogam. Viruses2023, 15, 1782.
Brunton, J.S.; Theiler, R.N.; Mehta, R.; Branda, M.E.; Enninga, E.A.L.; Torbenson, V.E. Efficacy of Rubella Vaccination after Co-Inoculation with Rhogam. Viruses 2023, 15, 1782.
Brunton, J.S.; Theiler, R.N.; Mehta, R.; Branda, M.E.; Enninga, E.A.L.; Torbenson, V.E. Efficacy of Rubella Vaccination after Co-Inoculation with Rhogam. Viruses2023, 15, 1782.
Brunton, J.S.; Theiler, R.N.; Mehta, R.; Branda, M.E.; Enninga, E.A.L.; Torbenson, V.E. Efficacy of Rubella Vaccination after Co-Inoculation with Rhogam. Viruses 2023, 15, 1782.
Abstract
Abstract
Congenital rubella syndrome is a constellation of birth defects that can have devastating consequences, impacting approximately 100,000 births worldwide each year. The incidence is much lower in countries that routinely vaccinate their population. In the US, postnatal immunization of susceptible women is an important epidemiological strategy for the prevention of rubella. However, concerns that co-administration of Rubella vaccine with other immunoglobins (i.e., Rhogam) could comprise vaccine efficacy has produced warnings that can delay the administration of Rubella vaccination postpartum, leaving women susceptible in a subsequent pregnancy. We aimed to address whether co-administration of Rubella vaccine and Rhogam decreased antibody responses as compared to those receiving only Rubella vaccination. This retrospective cohort study utilized clinical data from 80 subjects who received Rubella vaccine and Rhogam after delivery and 43 subjects received Rubella vaccine alone. Maternal demographics, pregnancy complications and rubella status at the start of a subsequent pregnancy were recorded for analysis. Overall, the two cohorts had similar baseline characteristics; however, lower parity was noted in the participants having both Rubella vaccination and Rhogam. Based on maternal antibody IgG index for rubella during the next pregnancy, we observed that 88% of the Rhogam + Rubella vaccine group had positive titers, which was not significantly different than the 81% in the Rubella vaccine only cohort (p=0.36). In conclusion, no differences in the rubella immunity status in a subsequent pregnancy were observed in those mothers administered both Rubella vaccine and Rhogam concurrently. Given these findings, warnings against co-administration of Rubella vaccine in combination with other immunoglobulins should be discontinued.
Keywords
rubella vaccine; rhogam co-inoculation; post partum vaccination
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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