EFFECTS OF DOSE AND STRAIN OF VACCINE ON SUCCESS OF MEASLES VACCINATION OF INFANTS AGED 4-5 MONTHS
Whittle HC., Eccles M., Jupp L., Hanlon L., Mann G., O'Neill K., Hanlon P., Marsh V.
Small-scale trials of the Edmonston-Zagreb (E-Z) measles vaccine were undertaken to determine the dose necessary to immunise 4-6-month-old infants. Antibody responses, measured 16 weeks after vaccination, were dose dependent: 40 000 plaque forming units given subcutaneously resulted in positive responses in all infants and higher antibody levels than doses of 20 000 or 10 000 units (10 000 units gave a failure rate of 25%). In further trials the E-Z vaccine was compared with the Schwarz vaccine, both being given in subcutaneous doses of 40 000 plaque forming units. In infants aged 20 weeks the E-Z vaccine produced higher levels of measles antibody and in those aged 18 weeks its superiority showed in a lower proportion failing to respond (3 of 39 versus 19 of 35). © 1988.