Successful seroresponses to measles and rubella following aerosolized Triviraten vaccine, but poor response to aerosolized mumps (Rubini) component: comparisons with injected MMR.

Seroresponses to measles, rubella and mumps were evaluated following the injection of MMR II and injection or aerosol administration of Triviraten in young adults. Response to aerosolized Rubini mumps strain was a focus of interest, given robust responses to aerosolized mumps vaccine (Leningrad-Zagreb strain) in a prior study using aerosolized MMR vaccine. The aerosolized Edmonston-Zagreb (EZ) measles vaccine was significantly more immunogenic than injected EZ vaccine, and comparable to results following injected Moraten measles vaccine having twice the dosage. Responses to rubella were comparable in the three MMR study groups. Aerosolized Rubini vaccine was very highly and unexpectedly less immunogenic than either injected Rubini or Jeryl-Lyn strains. The high attenuation of Rubini vaccine appears to have limited its affinity for respiratory tract receptors, which may underlie its lack of clinical effectiveness.