title: Effect of an Early Dose of Measles Vaccine on Morbidity Between 18 Weeks and 9 Months of Age: A Randomized, Controlled Trial in Guinea-Bissau.
abstract: Children in Guinea-Bissau receive measles vaccine (MV) at 9 months of age, but studies have shown that an additional dose before 9 months of age might have beneficial nonspecific effects. Within a randomized trial designed to examine nonspecific effects of early MV receipt on mortality, we conducted a substudy to investigate the effect of early MV receipt on morbidity.
  
  
  
  Children were randomly assigned at a ratio of 2:1 to receive 2 doses of MV at 18 weeks and age 9 months (intervention group) or 1 dose of MV at age 9 months, in accordance with current practice (control group). Children were visited weekly from enrollment to age 9 months; the mother reported morbidity, and the field assistants examined the children. Using Cox and binomial regression models, we compared the 2 randomization groups.
  
  
  
  Among the 1592 children, early measles vaccination was not associated with a higher risk of the well-known adverse events of fever, rash, and convulsions within the first 14 days. From 15 days after randomization to age 9 months, early measles vaccination was associated with reductions in maternally reported diarrhea (hazard ratio [HR], 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], .82-.97), vomiting (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, .75-.98), and fever (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, .87-1.00).
  
  
  
  Early MV receipt was associated with reduced general morbidity in the following months, supporting that early MV receipt may improve the general health of children.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Vitamins & Vaccines (CVIVA), Bandim Health Project, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark.|Projécto de Saúde Bandim, INDEPTH Network, Codex 1004, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: Vu An
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Do
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Vitamins & Vaccines (CVIVA), Bandim Health Project, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark.|Projécto de Saúde Bandim, INDEPTH Network, Codex 1004, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: Sofie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biering-Sørensen
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Vitamins & Vaccines (CVIVA), Bandim Health Project, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark.|Projécto de Saúde Bandim, INDEPTH Network, Codex 1004, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: Ane Bærent
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Fisker
authors.affiliation: Projécto de Saúde Bandim, INDEPTH Network, Codex 1004, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: Carlito
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balé
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Vitamins & Vaccines (CVIVA), Bandim Health Project, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark.|Projécto de Saúde Bandim, INDEPTH Network, Codex 1004, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: Stine Møller
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Vitamins & Vaccines (CVIVA), Bandim Health Project, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark.|Projécto de Saúde Bandim, INDEPTH Network, Codex 1004, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: Lone Damkjær
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Vitamins & Vaccines (CVIVA), Bandim Health Project, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark.|Section for Immunology and Vaccinology, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Bülowsvej 27, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C.
authors.forename: Kristoffer Jarlov
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Projécto de Saúde Bandim, INDEPTH Network, Codex 1004, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: Cesário
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Projécto de Saúde Bandim, INDEPTH Network, Codex 1004, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aaby
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Vitamins & Vaccines (CVIVA), Bandim Health Project, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark.|Odense Patient data Explorative Network, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark/Odense University Hospital, J.B. Winsløws Vej 9a, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Christine Stabell
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Benn
mesh_terms: D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006169:Guinea-Bissau / Q000453:epidemiology; D006792:House Calls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D064789:Immunity, Heterologous; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009017:Morbidity; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D014611:Vaccination; D014839:Vomiting / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D008458:Measles Vaccine
keywords: adverse events; heterologous immunity; measles vaccine; morbidity; non-specific effects of vaccines; pediatric