Objective. To determine, in healthy children, the immune response induced at one month and one year by the serogroup C antigen of a quadrivalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine ($Menomune\sp{\rm TM}$) A/C/Y/W-135), during a mass vaccination campaign. Participants. 6 month-19 year old volunteers recruited during a Public Health Department mass immunization campaign. Methods. Serum was obtained pre, one month, and one year post immunization and measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and bactericidal assay (BA) for the immune response to serogroup C N. meningitidis polysaccharide antigen. Throat cultures were analyzed for oropharyngeal colonization of N. meningitidis and N. lactamica. Results. Pre-vaccination, almost all children had a negligible amount of ACPS antibody against group C N. meningitidis, regardless of age. At one month post-vaccination, a significant response was demonstrated in children older than 6 months of age with regard to total ACPS antibody concentration and in children older than 18 months of age with respect to SBA titre. In children less than 18 months old, despite a significant rise in total ACPS antibody concentration, this measure was not associated with the SBA titre. At one year post-vaccination, children less than 5 years of age had a substantial decline in their total ACPS antibody response, while children greater than 18 months old maintained their SBA levels. Implications. During an outbreak of invasive meningococcal disease, quadrivalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine can induce a 'protective' immune response in children older than 18 months and may be beneficial for children as young as 6 months of age. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/9939 |
| Date | January 1995 |
| Creators | King, W. James. |
| Contributors | Wells, George, |
| Publisher | University of Ottawa (Canada) |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 148 p. |
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