Combined live measles-mumps virus vaccine.

Abstract

Combined live measles-mumps virus vaccine.Four lots of combined bivalent live Moraten measles-Jeryl Lynn mumps virus vaccine were administered to a total of 334 children 10 months to 6 years of age, who were initially without antibody against either virus.Overall, 99 % of the children responded serologically to the measles virus and 96 % to mumps.The geometric mean titres were of the same general height as those obtained when the individual vaccines were given alone, and there was no indication of immunological suppression.There was no increase in clinical reaction beyond the mild fever and other reactions that follow the administration of Moraten measles vaccine given alone.The combined measles-mumps vaccine provides a simple means for immunization against both these viruses with no apparent alteration in the immunological or clinical responses.The need to simplify administration, reduce costs, and minimize the number of contacts of patient with physician has prompted the development of combined single dose formulations of vaccines.Reports from our laboratories have described the development and clinical evaluation of combined measles-mumps-rubella (M-M-R) (Stokes et al., 1971), measles-rubella (M-R-Vax) (Villarejos et al., 1971), and mumps-rubella (Biavax) (Weibel et al., 1971) vaccines.All gave antibody responses equivalent to those obtained when the vaccines were given individually and there was no increase in clinical reaction.All are being used extensively in the U.S.A. and elsewhere.This report presents the findings in tests to evaluate clinically a new combined live measles-mumps vaccine called M-M-Vax. MethodsDesign of the clinical studies.Three clinical studies were carried out.The first was a pilot study of a laboratory-prepared lot of measles-mumps vaccine (lot 284) tested in 53 children who had no antibody initially either to measles or to mumps virus.Similar groups of children were given either monovalent measles (27 children) (Attenuvax) or mumps virus vaccine (42