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Comparative trial of live measles vaccines in Czechoslovakia
Insights
This 1964 study found that measles vaccines, including Enders Edmonston B and Schwarz, were highly effective with seroconversion rates up to 100%. Reactions were generally mild, with Schwarz and Enders Edmonston B plus gamma-globulin showing the lowest incidence.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Vaccinology
- Public Health
Background:
- The World Health Organization (WHO) initiated a measles vaccination program to control the disease.
- Measles vaccination is crucial for preventing widespread outbreaks and associated complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of various measles vaccines in children.
- To compare the clinical reactions and efficacy of different measles vaccine candidates.
Main Methods:
- A clinical trial involving 416 children aged 8 months to 3 years.
- Administration of Enders Edmonston B vaccine (with or without gamma-globulin), Schwarz vaccine, Beckenham 20 vaccine, Milovanović vaccine, and a placebo.
- Monitoring of seroconversion rates and assessment of clinical reactions and complications.
Main Results:
- All tested measles vaccines demonstrated high immunogenicity, with seroconversion rates between 91% and 100%.
- The incidence of adverse reactions was generally low and clinically acceptable across vaccine groups.
- Schwarz vaccine and Enders Edmonston B with gamma-globulin exhibited the lowest reaction rates, while Beckenham 20 showed the highest, possibly due to dosage.
Conclusions:
- The evaluated measles vaccines are highly effective in inducing an immune response.
- Measles vaccination is a safe and viable strategy for disease prevention, with some vaccine formulations offering improved reaction profiles.
- Further investigation into vaccine dosage and formulation may optimize safety and tolerability.
Abstract:
The study reported in this article was conducted under the auspices of WHO as part of the Organization's programme on measles vaccination.In the spring of 1964, 416 children aged between 8 months and 3 years were inoculated with one or another of the following agents: Enders Edmonston B vaccine (alone or with gamma-globulin), Schwarz vaccine, Beckenham 20 vaccine, Milovanović vaccine, and a placebo.Seroconversion rates ranged from 91% to 100%, which indicates that the vaccines tested were highly immunogenic. The incidence of reactions was low, and from the clinical point of view acceptable. Clinical comparison of the reactions provoked by the different vaccines showed that the lowest rate was in the groups given Schwarz vaccine and Enders Edmonston B plus gamma-globulin, and the highest in the group given Beckenham 20 vaccine. However, the greater frequency of reactions observed with Beckenham 20 vaccine might have been due to the high dose given in the first stage of the trial.Complications were observed in 10 children, of whom four were in the placebo group. In three of the remaining cases a causal connexion with the vaccine could not be excluded with certainty.