Effect of Vitamin A supplementation on the immune response to measles vaccination.
A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 395 infants aged 9-12 months to determine the effect of Vitamin A supplementation on concurrently administered measles vaccine. Antibody response was measured using the plaque reduction neutralization assay. No statistically significant differences were demonstrated between the immune response in Vitamin A supplemented and unsupplemented children. Unlike some recent studies, we were unable to demonstrate an immune enhancing effect of Vitamin A supplementation. On the contrary, among children who were given Vitamin A, a lower, but statistically non-significant, proportion had protective antibody levels 6 months after vaccination.
Cherian
Thomas
T
Department of Child Health, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India. cherian@who.int
Varkki
Sneha
S
Raghupathy
P
P
Ratnam
Sam
S
Chandra
Ranjit K
RK
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D010919:Placebos; D013997:Time Factors; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D008458:Measles Vaccine; D010919:Placebos; D014801:Vitamin A