title: Measles virus antibody responses in children randomly assigned to receive standard-titer edmonston-zagreb measles vaccine at 4.5 and 9 months of age, 9 months of age, or 9 and 18 months of age.
abstract: The World Health Organization recommends administration of measles vaccine (MV) at age 9 months in low-income countries. We tested the measles virus antibody response at 4.5, 9, 18, and 24 months of age for children randomly assigned to receive standard-titer Edmonston-Zagreb MV at 4.5 and 9 months, at 9 months, or at 9 and 18 months of age. At 4.5 months of age, 75% had nonprotective measles virus antibody levels. Following receipt of MV at 4.5 months of age, 77% (316/408) had protective antibody levels at 9 months of age; after a second dose at 9 months of age, 97% (326/337) had protective levels at 24 months of age. In addition, the response at both 9 and 24 months of age was inversely correlated with the antibody level at receipt of the first dose of MV, and the second dose of MV, received at 9 months of age, provided a significant boost in antibody level to children who had low antibody levels. In the group of 318 children who received MV at 9 months of age, with or without a second dose at 18 months of age, 99% (314) had protective levels at 24 months of age. The geometric mean titer at 24 months of age was significantly lower in the group that received MV at 4.5 and 9 months of age than in the group that received MV at 9 months of age (P = .0001). In conclusion, an early 2-dose MV schedule was associated with protective measles virus antibody levels at 24 months of age in nearly all children. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT00168558.
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: Cesario
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: May-Lill
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Garly
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: Carlitos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bale
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: Amabelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: MRC Laboratories, Fajara, Gambia.
authors.forename: Jainaba
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Njie-Jobe
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines, Bandim Health Project, Statens Serum Institut, Denmark.
authors.forename: Christine S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Benn
authors.affiliation: MRC Laboratories, Fajara, Gambia.
authors.forename: Hilton
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Whittle
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines, Bandim Health Project, Statens Serum Institut, Denmark.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aaby
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D008459:Measles virus / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D008458:Measles Vaccine
keywords: Edmonston-Zagreb measles vaccine; antibody response; early measles vaccination; non-specific effects of vaccines; two-dose measles vaccination