Barnes, E. K., R. Altman (New Jersey Dept. of Health, P.O. Box 1540, Trenton, N.J. 08625), S. M. Austin and W. J. Dougherty. Joint reactions in children vaccinated against rubella. Study II: Comparison of three vaccines. Am J Epidemiol 95: 59–66, 1972.—This study was undertaken to assess the incidence and severity of joint reactions in children following rubella vaccination. Parents of children who had been vaccinated 2–6 weeks previously in public rubella vaccination programs in 24 communities were requested to report joint symptoms to the State Health Department. A second phase of the study consisted of a telephone survey of approximately one-half of the nonresponding families. Expected reactions were calculated for those children not contacted in the study. A rate of joint symptoms in unvaccinated children was assessed in four communities which did not have public programs. Among 6471 dog kidney vaccinees, 14.4% developed joint reactions, contrasted to 5.4% of 9624 duck embryo vaccinees and 5.1% of 3441 Cendehill vaccinees. The background rate of joint symptoms in 2427 unvaccinated children was 2.8%. Physician visits were 7.5 times more frequent with dog kidney than with either the duck embryo or Cendehill vaccines. Similarly, school absenteeism for dog kidney vaccine was 6.3 and 9.5 times more frequent than with the duck embryo and Cendehill vaccines, respectively, and reactions lasting more than 14 days were 5.5 and 4.7 times more frequent with the dog kidney than with the other two vaccines. It was concluded that morbidity directly related to joint reactions was significantly greater for the dog kidney vaccine than for either the duck embryo or Cendehill vaccines.
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Em et al. (1972) studied this question.