Studies of Live Attenuated Measles Virus Vaccine in Man: II. Appraisal of Efficacy

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Abstract
Con-trolled studies were conducted in community groups, in a hospital and in an orphanage to measure the immune response to administration of Enders'' live attenuated measles virus vaccine given immediately prior to 80, 40 or 20 units of measles antibody, per lb. body weight, in human immune globulin. Approximately 750 children, initially seronegative to measles, were included in the study. The measles virus dose was 1405 TCD50. The vaccine-immune globulin combination administered once only, resulted in a neutralizing antibody response in 99% of the recipients and a CF antibody response in 98% of the children. The amount of measles antibody employed, in the 20 to 80 unit range, did not appear to influence the titer level of antibody achieved following vaccination. The live virus vaccine, administered with 80 units of antibody per pound of body weight, proved 100% effective in preventing natural measles on intimate exposure in 2 epidemics in which 102 cases of natural measles were recorded among the controls who received a killed virus vaccine and immune globulin. Co-administration by 2 methods of vaccine and immune globulin in the same syringe was unsatisfactory both in failure to induce antibody and in failure to protect against natural measles. The present studies demonstrated clearly the practicability for safe and effective widespread application of live measles virus vaccine given with immune globulin. The clinical reactions were so mild, even when only 20 units of measles antibody per pound body weight were used, that the vaccine was well received by the parents and was regarded favorably by the family physicians. Especially satisfactory from the patient-physician standpoint was the establishment of solid immunity following but a single dose in the combination regimen.

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