Immune responses to 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in children recovering from measles infection

Project status: Active

Research area: Infection, Immunity and Global Health > New Vaccines

PCV in child measles patients

This observational study aims to describe immune responses to PCV13 in children recovering from measles infection at different periods of post-infection and in healthy children who had known not to have measles infection in the past six months. All children have not previously received any PCV doses.

The project is open to both patients and healthy children attending Children's Hospital 1 (CH1) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The challenge

Measles-induced immune suppression and immunological amnesia can increase susceptibility to secondary infections, including pneumococcal disease. Pneumonia remains a major cause of measles-associated morbidity and mortality.

In Vietnam, PCV13 is not yet included in the national immunisation program, and there is little evidence regarding the immune response to PCV13 among children recovering from measles.

Study details

This study addresses an important evidence gap by evaluating whether administration of PCV13 following measles infection can induce adequate pneumococcal immune responses. The findings will inform strategies to protect children recovering from measles from pneumococcal disease and its complications.

The primary outcome measures are:

Serotype-specific pneumococcal IgG antibody levels for the 13 vaccine serotypes included in PCV13
Serotype-specific pneumococcal B-cell responses measured 28 days after PCV13 administration

The study is conducted at Children's Hospital 1 (CH1), one of the three referral paediatric hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Participant recruitment, clinical procedures, and sample collection take place at CH1. Sample processing is conducted at the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, while advanced immunological analyses are performed at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) in Melbourne, Australia.

The study will evaluate immune responses following PCV13 vaccination by comparing antibody and B-cell responses across the different participant groups.

Information for participants

Who is eligible to participate?

Children under five years of age who meet one of the following criteria:

Children admitted to Children's Hospital 1 (CH1) with laboratory-confirmed measles infection who have not previously received any doses of PCV13.
Children under five years of age with clinically diagnosed and/or laboratory-confirmed measles infection within the previous 3–6 months who have not previously received any doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV).
Children under five years of age with no recent history of measles infection who have not previously received any doses of PCV.

What does participation involve?

Participants will receive a dose of PCV13 and provide blood samples to assess immune responses following vaccination. Study staff will explain all study procedures, potential risks, and benefits before obtaining informed consent from a parent or guardian.

Privacy & confidentiality

All participant information will be kept confidential. Personal information and study data will be securely stored and managed according to applicable ethical and regulatory requirements.

Only authorised members of the research team will have access to identifiable participant information.

How can families find out more?

Families interested in learning more about the study or participating can contact the study team at Children's Hospital 1.

Research team

Principle Investigators MCRI

Principle Investigators Vietnam:

Dr Le Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Head of Department at Children's Hospital 1
Dr Tiêu Chau Thy

Funding & collaborators

This study is funded by Pfizer and by the Australian Government through the Partnerships for a Healthy Region Initiative (the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)

Collaborating institutions include:

Children's Hospital 1 (CH1), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Pasteur Institute, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI), Melbourne, Australia

Please note: funders have no role in the study design, conduct, data collection, analysis, interpretation of results, or preparation of study reports and publications.

Publications and research outputs

The study analyses will be presented to the authorities in Vietnam and the World Health Organization (WHO) as soon as available. This will represent the first publication. At the completion of the study a major publication will be prepared for an international journal. The data will also be presented at appropriate international conferences and meetings.