Vaccine-associated Rubella – a report of two cases and a review of the literature
Sean Wei Xiang Ong, Shawn Vasoo, Sapna P. Sadarangani, Lin Cui, Kalisvar Marimuthu, Poh Lian Lim, Jing Wen Kong, Judith Chui Ching Wong, K.Y. Puong, Kwai Peng Chan
Abstract
We report the clinical characteristics of two adult patients, presenting with a typical erythematous rash consistent with rubella disease after MMR vaccination. Both patients had an uncomplicated clinical course and recovered uneventfully. One patient was confirmed to have vaccine-associated rubella via sequencing of virus isolated in viral culture. The other patient had a pharyngeal swab positive for rubella virus PCR, with sequencing matching the vaccine strain. There are few reports of clinical disease from rubella vaccine-strains in the literature. Previous authors have reported severe disseminated vaccine-associated rubella in both immunodeficient and immunocompetent patients. Further study is required to ascertain the incidence, risk factors, and clinical characteristics of this condition; as well as investigate the extent of horizontal transmission to guide infection control recommendations.