159: Reactions and efficacy of measles vaccination after exposure

Abstract

A detailed study on measles vaccination reactions were carried out in Turku city in early 1975 when measles vaccinations were started in Finland. An extensive measles epidemic broke out in Turku in late 1975 and the results of the previous study then permitted a comparative evaluation to be made of the efficacy and reactions of measles vaccine in children vaccinated after exposure. In a preliminary series 8 children exposured to measles were vaccinated during the incubation period i.e. 1-14 days after exposure. None of the vaccinees developed a typical measles. Encouraged by these results a further group of 82 children were vaccinated after an established exposure to measles by other children in day-care centers. Detailed informations have been obtained from 74 children (90%). In four of the vaccinees the reactions were comparable to the natural measles, in 32 vaccinees comparable to normal vaccination reactions, and in 38 vaccinees no reactions were observed. The vaccination reactions in 442 children vaccinated before the epidemic were: fever in 44%; cough and coryza in 43%; irritability in 30%; rash in 19%; conjunctivitis in 15%; loose stools in 12%; womiting in 9%; otitis media in 2%; total vaccination reaction in 56%.The results obtained suggest that measles vaccination after exposure but before the appearance of prodromal symptoms decreases usually the severity of natural measles or prevents completely the clinical signs.