A Review on Rubella Vaccine: Iran (۱۹۷۵-۲۰۱۹)

The first Attenuated rubella vaccine was developed by Parkman and Meyer in ۱۹۶۶. Ten years later in the ۱۹۷۵s, the rubella vaccine was developed in Razi Vaccine and serum research institute) RVSRI). In ۱۹۷۷, the rubella TAKAHASHI vaccine successfully passed the clinical trial and was initially used voluntarily only in the private sector. Since ۱۹۸۷, the administration of rubella as MMR (Measles/AIK-C; Rubella/TAKAHASHI; Mumps/HOSHINO) strain vaccine has been included in the immunization program in Iran. This review article focused on the development and production of the rubella TAKAHASHI/HDC vaccine in RVSRI. The herd immunity and rubella cases were investigated in the pre- and post-vaccine era. The effectiveness and proper coverage of the rubella vaccine led to the elimination of rubella from Iran in ۲۰۱۹. The current study aimed to assess local rubella vaccine manufacturing and its consequences on rubella elimination from Iran, using various search engines. A complete search was carried out in medical databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Scientific Information Database, IranMedex, Magiran, and Google Scholar. Within ۱۹۷۲-۱۹۷۵, Rubella TAKAHASHI/HDC vaccine was developed by RVSRI and successfully passed clinical trial in ۱۹۷۷. Over the four last decades (۱۹۸۰-۲۰۲۰), more than ۴۰ million infants, young, and adults were vaccinated by million doses of local Rubella, measles-rubella (MR) or measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in Iran. In ۱۹۷۲, the pre-vaccine era, the overall sensitivity to rubella infection was ۶۹% in one-year-old Iranian children and ۲۳% in childbearing women. The use of a safe, inexpensive, and effective vaccine increased herd immunity to ۹۵% (۸۵%-۹۹%) in our country. During the last two decades, we have witnessed a ۹۱% decline in the confirmed rubella cases, from ۱۱۲۴ in ۲۰۰۰ to ۳۳ cases in ۲۰۱۸. The current article presented the process of vaccine development, tracked it through more than four decades, and discussed disease status before and after the rubella vaccine era, as well as the history of its elimination from Iran. The effectiveness of the local Razi Rubella vaccine resulted in a significant increase in seroprevalence in Iran. Expanded vaccination against rubella, usually with measles, has led to the elimination of Rubella from Iran as confirmed by World Health Organization in ۲۰۱۹.

Keywords:

Iran , Razi , vaccine , Rubella , TAKAHASHI , Production , Congenital Rubella Syndrome , Elimination