Volume 28, Supplement—December 2022
SUPPLEMENT ISSUE
Clinical
Past as Prologue—Use of Rubella Vaccination Program Lessons to Inform COVID-19 Vaccination
Meredith G. Dixon
, Susan E. Reef, Laura A. Zimmerman, and Gavin B. Grant
, Susan E. Reef, Laura A. Zimmerman, and Gavin B. Grant
Table 1
Comparison of rubella and SARS-CoV-2 viruses*
| Comparator | Rubella | SARS-CoV-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Type of virus |
Enveloped, positive-stranded RNA virus |
Enveloped, positive-stranded RNA virus |
| Virus classification |
Rubivirus in Matonaviridae family |
Coronavirus in Coronaviridae family |
| Reservoir |
Humans only |
Mainly birds and mammals |
| Subtypes |
1 serotype |
Numerous variants with continual evolution |
| Transmission |
Mainly respiratory droplet |
Mainly respiratory droplet |
| Incubation period range, d |
12–23 |
1–14 |
| Reproductive number |
6–12 |
6–10 |
| Nature of clinical manifestations |
Asymptomatic through mild prodromal symptoms to miscarriage and stillbirth |
Asymptomatic to severe illness |
| Infections that are asymptomatic, % |
20–50 |
31–40 |
| Serious complications |
Congenital rubella syndrome |
Respiratory failure, multisystem inflammatory syndromes, post–COVID-19 conditions, stillbirths and preterm births |
| Major risk factors for serious complications |
Infection early in pregnancy increases likelihood of CRS |
Age, certain underlying medical conditions |
| Vaccine efficacy against infection, % |
97 |
90 |
| Waning immunity after vaccination | Seropositivity rates ranged 92%–100% 1–21 y after 1 dose | Possible; vaccine efficacy/effectiveness rates decreased on average 21 percentage points 1–6 mo after final vaccine dose of primary series, although mechanism not fully elucidated and multiple limitations exist |
*CRS, congenital rubella syndrome.
Page created: August 12, 2022
Page updated: December 11, 2022
Page reviewed: December 11, 2022
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