PARENTS: Consider Enrolling Toddlers in Emory Studies of New Measles Test and Meningococcal Vaccine


Parents of toddlers between 12- to 18-months-of-age are encouraged to consider enrolling their children in studies being conducted by pediatric infectious disease researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine.

An Emory/CDC MEASLES study will evaluate a new saliva and filter paper test to diagnose measles. A small amount of blood drawn by finger stick and saliva will be collected from children about three weeks after the routine measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

The Emory MENINGOCOCCAL Vaccine Study will evaluate the safety and immune response, in toddlers, of a meningococcal C vaccine. At the initial visit, children will receive the investigational meningococcal vaccine. Blood samples will be obtained before the first dose and again one month later. Numbing medicine will be applied to the skin to decrease the pain of drawing blood. More than 500 infants and toddlers have received the meningococcal C vaccine in previous studies. In these studies, the vaccine was found to cause few side effects and to produce antibodies (protective substances in the blood which prevent infection). The vaccine is administered free-of-charge.

Clinics for both studies are offered on Saturdays on the Emory campus at the Emory Pediatric Clinic, 2032 Ridgewood Dr., Atlanta. Parents will be reimbursed for travel expenses. For information on either study, call the office of Harry Keyserling, M.D., at 404/727-4044.