Antibody response to measles immunization at seven months old in rural Ghanaian infants

ABSTRACT

A serological study was carried out in three rural communities in Southern Ghana in order to determine the optimal age for measles immunization. The live hyperattenuated measles vaccine (Schwarz strain) was inoculated subcutaneously into infants aged three to eleven months. The maternal measles antibodies in the infants started decreasing after 7 months; while the seroconversion rate after the immunization was increasing after 6 months. Forty seven infants were given the measles vaccines at the age of 7 months. The seroconversion rate was 91.5 per cent. There were no side effects. These results indicate that measles immunization can be administered effectively at the age of 7 months