Epidemic Rubella in Adolescent Boys

Between April 7 and June 10, 1972, there occurred 163 cases of rubella in Olmsted County, Minnesota; 103 of the cases were in adolescent boys. Prior restriction of rubella vaccine to girls approaching puberty produced the uneven distribution of cases; attack rates in unvaccinated male and female adolescents were nearly identical. Vaccine efficacy was 93.5%. During rubella infection, joint pain was noted by 44% of the adolescent boys and by 65% of the adolescent girls. Joint pains or paresthesias following Cendehill rubella vaccination were reported by 8.7% of vaccinated adolescent boys, by 2.3% of those with rubella hemagglutination-inhibition antibodies at the time of inoculation, and by 17.9% of those without antibodies; joint pains or paresthesias were noted by 3.9% of unvaccinated adolescent male control subjects. None of the disorders following vaccination was unusually prolonged or severe.