SYNOPSIS
Researchers did not find compelling data to support a routine third dose of MMR vaccine.
TITLE
Measles Virus Neutralizing Antibody Response, Cell-Mediated Immunity, and Immunoglobulin G Antibody Avidity Before and After Receipt of a Third Dose of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine in Young Adults
CITATION
Amy Parker Fiebelkorn, Laura A. Coleman, Edward A. Belongia, Sandra K. Freeman, Daphne York, Daoling Bi, Ashwin Kulkarni, Susette Audet, Sara Mercader, Marcia McGrew, Carole J. Hickman, William J. Bellini, Rupak Shivakoti, Diane E. Griffin, Judith Beeler, Measles Virus Neutralizing Antibody Response, Cell-Mediated Immunity, and Immunoglobulin G Antibody Avidity Before and After Receipt of a Third Dose of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine in Young Adults, The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 213, Issue 7, 1 April 2016, Pages 1115–1123,
SUMMARY
Two doses of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine are 97% effective against measles, but waning antibody immunity to measles and failure of the 2-dose vaccine occur. A third MMR dose (MMR3) was given to young adults to see if it would make a difference in waning immunity. Immunogenicity was assessed over 1 year. Most subjects were seropositive before MMR3 receipt, and very few had a secondary immune response after MMR3 receipt. Similarly, cell-mediated immunity (CMI), and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody avidity analyses showed minimal qualitative improvements in immune response after MMR3 receipt. We did not find compelling data to support a routine third dose of MMR vaccine.