title: Potency status and efficacy of measles vaccine administered in Nigeria: a case study of three EPI centres in Lagos, Nigeria.
abstract: The potency status and efficacy of measles vaccines were studied in three immunization (EPI) centres in the suburban area of Lagos, Nigeria. A total of 14 vials of measles vaccine were collected and subjected to potency testing while, 203 measles-vaccinated children were recruited for this study. Only 85 (41.87%) of the vaccinees reported back for the post-vaccination follow-up screening. The seroconversion pattern showed that 51(60%) had potent antibody titres ranging from 1:40 to 1:1280, while the remaining 34 (40%) had a low antibody titres between < 1:20 and 1:20. The vaccine potency test showed that only 1 (7.14%) of the 14 vaccine vials collected at these centres had virus titre of 3.5 Log while the remaining 13 (92.86%) had virus titres lower than 3.0 Log: the recommended human dose by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for measles vaccine. The administration of these subpotent and/or impotent vaccines vis-à-vis the status of immune response elicited in the vaccinees may be one of the reasons for the occurrence of measles infection in vaccinated children in the recent time in Nigeria. We herein suggested the subjection of all vaccines to a thorough standard laboratory screening before use in Nigeria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, PMB 12003, Lagos.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Omilabu
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Oyefolu
authors.forename: O O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Ojo
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Audu
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D003151:Community Health Centers; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004355:Drug Stability; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology* / Q000592:standards*; D008459:Measles virus / Q000276:immunology*; D009549:Nigeria; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011786:Quality Control; D014504:Urban Health; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D008458:Measles Vaccine