Persistence of Anti–Yellow Fever IgM Antibodies After Vaccination

Three to four years after yellow fever vaccination, 73% of vaccinees had IgM antibodies to the virus.

The presence of IgM antibodies to yellow fever (YF) virus suggests recent YF virus infection and is used in identifying virus circulation in endemic areas. But can persistence of antibodies from earlier receipt of the live-attenuated vaccine complicate interpretation of test results? To explore this possibility, investigators assessed YF antibody levels in U.S. adults who had received the 17D-YF vaccine in a clinical trial conducted in 2006–2007. They collected repeat serum samples in 2010 and administered a standardized questionnaire to determine potential predictors of YF IgM positivity.

The 40 participants were aged 22 to 44 (median, 32); 55% were female. Median time since vaccination was 3.6 years (range, 3.1–4.0). Among these individual…

Reviewing Author

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine