BACKGROUND: A combination measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine (ProQuad, Merck & Co., Inc, West Point, PA) was evaluated in five clinical trials. Use of ProQuad would result in fewer injections for children and would facilitate universal immunization against all four diseases. OBJECTIVE: To describe the combined results obtained from the studies conducted during the clinical development program for ProQuad. METHODS: A total of 5833 healthy children, 12-23 months of age, and 399 healthy children, 4-6 years of age, received 1 or 2 doses of ProQuad in five controlled clinical trials. M-M-R II and VARIVAX were used as the control for most studies. Safety was evaluated for six weeks postvaccination and immunogenicity was assessed six weeks after each dose by a sensitive assay (ELISA or gpELISA). RESULTS: A single dose of ProQuad in 12- to 23-month-old children was shown to be as immunogenic as a single dose of M-M-R II and VARIVAX and was generally well tolerated. ProQuad can be used concomitantly with other vaccines (hepatitis B and Hoemophilus influenzoe b). A higher rate of fever was reported after 1 dose of ProQuad compared to M-M-R II and VARIVAX, but fever episodes were transient without long-term sequelae. Both a 2-dose regimen of ProQuad in 12- to 23-month-olds and use of ProQuad in place of M-M-R II at 4-6 years were shown to be immunogenic and well tolerated. The incidence of adverse experiences following a second dose of ProQuad was lower than that following the initial dose. CONCLUSIONS: A single dose of ProQuad is as immunogenic as M-M-R II and VARIVAX and is well tolerated in a 1- or 2-dose schedule. ProQuad should easily fit into the routine immunization schedule.
BACKGROUND: A combination measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine (ProQuad, Merck & Co., Inc, West Point, PA) was evaluated in five clinical trials. Use of ProQuad would result in fewer injections for children and would facilitate universal immunization against all four diseases. OBJECTIVE: To describe the combined results obtained from the studies conducted during the clinical development program for ProQuad. METHODS: A total of 5833 healthy children, 12-23 months of age, and 399 healthy children, 4-6 years of age, received 1 or 2 doses of ProQuad in five controlled clinical trials. M-M-R II and VARIVAX were used as the control for most studies. Safety was evaluated for six weeks postvaccination and immunogenicity was assessed six weeks after each dose by a sensitive assay (ELISA or gpELISA). RESULTS: A single dose of ProQuad in 12- to 23-month-old children was shown to be as immunogenic as a single dose of M-M-R II and VARIVAX and was generally well tolerated. ProQuad can be used concomitantly with other vaccines (hepatitis B and Hoemophilus influenzoe b). A higher rate of fever was reported after 1 dose of ProQuad compared to M-M-R II and VARIVAX, but fever episodes were transient without long-term sequelae. Both a 2-dose regimen of ProQuad in 12- to 23-month-olds and use of ProQuad in place of M-M-R II at 4-6 years were shown to be immunogenic and well tolerated. The incidence of adverse experiences following a second dose of ProQuad was lower than that following the initial dose. CONCLUSIONS: A single dose of ProQuad is as immunogenic as M-M-R II and VARIVAX and is well tolerated in a 1- or 2-dose schedule. ProQuad should easily fit into the routine immunization schedule.
Authors: Sueli L Tillieux; Wendy S Halsey; Elizabeth S Thomas; John J Voycik; Ganesh M Sathe; Ventzislav Vassilev Journal: J Virol Date: 2008-09-10 Impact factor: 5.103
Authors: Paolo Bonanni; Judith Breuer; Anne Gershon; Michael Gershon; Waleria Hryniewicz; Vana Papaevangelou; Bernard Rentier; Hans Rümke; Catherine Sadzot-Delvaux; Jacques Senterre; Catherine Weil-Olivier; Peter Wutzler Journal: BMC Med Date: 2009-05-28 Impact factor: 8.775