Short summary

Live vaccines like measles vaccine and BCG vaccine have beneficial non-specific effects, and they seem stronger if the mother is primed with the same vaccines. We will conduct a 3:2 factorial trial in Guinea-Bissau, randomising women of fertile age to measles vaccine, BCG or placebo, and their children to an extra early measles vaccine or placebo in addition to the normal measles vaccine at 9 months. Women and their children will be followed for overall health, immune function, and specific measles immunity.

Rationale

Live vaccines like measles vaccine and BCG vaccine have beneficial non-specific effects, and they seem stronger if the mother is primed with the same vaccines. We aim to study if we can improve maternal and child health and specific measles immunity by vaccinating women in the fertile age with measles vaccine or BCG vaccine.

Description of the cohort

We will invite for participation women in the fertile age, living in the Bandim Health Project study area, who have at least one child who is more than 12 months old.

Data and biological material

The study is based on the collection of clinical data and blood samples.

Collaborating researchers and departments

Telethon Kids Institute; University of Western Australia

• Tobias Kollmann
• Nelly Amenyogbe

Institute for Medical Immunology, Brussels, Belgium

• Arnaud Marchant
• National Institute of Health, Bethesday, U.S.A
• John Tsang