Optimum age for measles immunization in Malaysia.

A study was carried out at the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to determine the age-specific prevalence of measles infection by serology and the age specific-seroconversion rates following measles vaccination. The results show that the percentage of children with passively acquired measles antibodies decreased with increasing age till 3 to 5 months of age. From 12 months of age, the percentage of positivity increased sharply due probably to natural infection. The geometric mean antibody titre was low at birth, but from 6 months it started to increase. These results indicate that measles infection is common in Malaysia and a small number of children began to acquire natural measles infection from 6 to 8 months of age; however the peak age for the acquisition of measles infection was from 12 months to 5 years of age. Seroconversion rates following vaccination from 9 months of age, ranged from 94% to 99%. However, the rates and the geometric mean titre were higher among those vaccinated at 11 months of age or older compared with those vaccinated at 9 or 10 months of age. Basing on the above results, it was concluded that the optimum age for measles immunization in Malaysia should be 11 months.

Comparative growth of Malay, Chinese and Indian school children in Malaysia.

The weights and heights of 3,312 Malaysian primary school boys and girls, aged 6 to 11 years, belonging to various ethnic groups in Malaysia were measured. On the whole, the Chinese children were taller and heavier than the Malay and the Indian children who were the least heavy among the three ethnic groups. Economically the Indians were the poorest among the three ethnic groups and they also had the largest family size. When the household incomes were taken into consideration it was found that the growth achievement of the higher income children was better than that of the poorer children, irrespective of their ethnic groups. It is interesting to note that, although the Indian children as a whole, were the least heavy of the three ethnic groups, yet the growth achievement of the higher income Indian children was similar to that of the higher income Chinese children. The differences in growth achievement of the various ethnic groups are probably due to environmental differences, rather than genetic differences. It seems likely that Malaysian children of different ethnic groups (Malay, Chinese and Indian) can attain similar statures if environmental conditions are similar.