title: A trial of a group A plus group C meningococcal polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine in African infants.
abstract: The safety and immunogenicity of a group A plus group C meningococcal polysaccharide-CRM197 conjugate vaccine was evaluated in 304 8- to 10-week-old Gambian infants. Infants were immunized with one, two, or three doses of conjugate vaccine or with two doses of a meningococcal A plus C polysaccharide vaccine. The conjugate vaccine produced few systemic side effects, and local reactions were similar to those produced by the polysaccharide vaccine. Postvaccination group A meningococcal polysaccharide antibody levels, measured by ELISA, increased progressively after one, two, or three doses of conjugate vaccine. However, one dose of conjugate vaccine given at the age of 6 months induced a higher group C meningococcal antibody response than did two doses of conjugate vaccine given at 2 and 6 months. Two doses of conjugate vaccine induced higher levels of antibody than did two doses of polysaccharide vaccine. Thus, this new meningococcal conjugate vaccine proved to be safe and immunogenic.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Laboratories, Fajara, Banjul, The Gambia.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Twumasi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumah
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: O'Dempsey
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ceesay
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Broome
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Carlone
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Pais
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Holder
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate; C043226:meningococcal group A polysaccharide; C037676:meningococcal group C polysaccharide; C028581:CRM197 (non-toxic variant of diphtheria toxin)