Persistence of maternal antibody in infants beyond 12 months: mechanism of measles vaccine failure.
A serologic study was made in 34 children immunized against measles at the age of 12 months. Using a sensitive virus neutralization test, it was found that many of the children had pre-existing maternal antibody to measles virus. Children with high pre-existing antibody titers failed to seroconvert. Children with lower pre-existing antibody titers seroconverted, but the resulting antibody titer was significantly lower than in children without pre-existing antibody titer. The results of this study demonstrate a probably mechanism for measles vaccine failure in 12-month-old children and support the recommendation of the Public Health Service Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to postpone measles vaccination to 15 months of age.
D000367:Age Factors; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008457:Measles / Q000276:immunology*; D008458:Measles Vaccine; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011247:Pregnancy
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D008458:Measles Vaccine