Robert E. Weibel
University of Pennsylvania
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The New England Journal of Medicine | 1984
Robert E. Weibel; Beverly J. Neff; Barbara J. Kuter; Harry A. Guess; Carol A. Rothenberger; Alison J. Fitzgerald; Karen Connor; Arlene A. McLean; Maurice R. Hilleman; Eugene B. Buynak; Edward M. Scolnick
We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled efficacy trial of the live attenuated Oka/Merck varicella vaccine among 956 children between the ages of 1 and 14 years, with a negative clinical history of varicella. Of the 914 children who were serologically confirmed to be susceptible to varicella, 468 received vaccine and 446 received placebo. The vaccine produced few clinical reactions and was well tolerated. There was no clinical evidence of viral spread from vaccinated children to sibling controls. Approximately eight weeks after vaccination, 94 per cent of the initially seronegative children who received vaccine had detectable antibody to varicella. During the nine-month surveillance period, 39 clinically diagnosed cases of varicella, 38 of which were confirmed by laboratory tests, occurred among study participants. All 39 cases occurred in placebo recipients; no child who received vaccine contracted varicella. The vaccine was 100 per cent efficacious in preventing varicella in this population of healthy children (P less than 10(-9).
The New England Journal of Medicine | 1968
Maurice R. Hilleman; Eugene B. Buynak; Robert E. Weibel; Joseph Stokes
MUMPS is a common childhood disease that may be severely and even permanently crippling when it involves the brain, testis, ovary, auditory nerves or pancreas. Adult males may be permanently steril...
Experimental Biology and Medicine | 1977
Robert E. Weibel; Philip P. Vella; Arlene A. McLean; Allen F. Woodhour; Wallace L. Davidson; Maurice R. Hilleman
Summary Clinical studies of 12- and 14-valent pneumococcal capsular polysaccha-ride vaccines were carried out among 76 adults and 42 children. All but a small proportion of persons developed significant increases in homologous antibody against all capsular types in the vaccine. Clinical reactions consisted mostly of mild fever and self-limiting local reactions at the injection site, such as commonly seen following administration of killed vaccines. Antibody persisted remarkably well with only slight decline 20 months after the vaccine was given. The vaccine shows great promise for preventing disease and death caused by pneu-mococci and merits wide discretionary application. The authors are greatly indebted to L. Gorkum, M.D., E. McNicholas, M.D., and G. A. Starkweather, M.D., and to J. Campbell, R.N., K. W. Campbell, R.N., B.S., and J. Laughead, R.N., for professional medical and nursing assistance. V. Holmes, B.S., B. Last, G. Lowden, A.B., M.S., and J. Staub, B.S., provided important technical assistance.
Pediatrics | 1998
Robert E. Weibel; Vito Caserta; David E. Benor; Geoffrey Evans
Objective. To determine if there is evidence for a causal relationship between acute encephalopathy followed by permanent brain injury or death associated with the administration of further attenuated measles vaccines (Attenuvax or Lirugen, Hoechst Marion Roussel, Kansas City, MO), mumps vaccine (Mumpsvax, Merck and Co, Inc, West Point, PA), or rubella vaccines (Meruvax or Meruvax II, Merck and Co, Inc, West Point, PA), combined measles and rubella vaccine (M-R-Vax or M-R-Vax II, Merck and Co, Inc, West Point, PA), or combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (M-M-R or M-M-R II, Merck and Co, Inc, West Point, PA), the lead author reviewed claims submitted to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Methods. The medical records of children who met the inclusion criteria of receiving the first dose of these vaccines between 1970 and 1993 and who developed such an encephalopathy with no determined cause within 15 days were identified and analyzed. Results. A total of 48 children, ages 10 to 49 months, met the inclusion criteria after receiving measles vaccine, alone or in combination. Eight children died, and the remainder had mental regression and retardation, chronic seizures, motor and sensory deficits, and movement disorders. The onset of neurologic signs or symptoms occurred with a nonrandom, statistically significant distribution of cases on days 8 and 9. No cases were identified after the administration of monovalent mumps or rubella vaccine. Conclusions. This clustering suggests that a causal relationship between measles vaccine and encephalopathy may exist as a rare complication of measles immunization.
Experimental Biology and Medicine | 1980
Robert E. Weibel; Alfred J. Carlson; Victor M. Villarejos; Eugene B. Buynak; Arlene A. McLean; Maurice R. Hilleman
Abstract Eleven lots of combined bivalent and trivalent vaccines containing the measles (Moraten), mumps (Jeryl Lynn), and rubella (RA 2713) viruses gave satisfactory results in tests in initially seronegative children (measles, 493 children; mumps, 377; rubella, 586). There was no apparent suppression of antibody response against any of the viruses in the vaccines. The clinical reactions observed were mild and inconsequential. Substitution of the HPV 77-DE strain employed heretofore with the RA 27/3 is technically acceptable and offers the advantage of higher titer, slightly greater seroconversion rate, and more solid immunity against reinfection in nature.
Experimental Biology and Medicine | 1979
Beverly J. Neff; Robert E. Weibel; Eugene B. Buynak; Arlene A. McLean; Maurice R. Hilleman
Summary Live strain Ad-169 vaccine was prepared in human diploid cell strain WI-38 and studied clinically in 43 adult male priests and seminarians. All seronegative persons who were vaccinated developed antibody, and the immune adherence and neutralizing antibodies persisted at high levels for at least one year. Clinical reactions were minor consisting mainly of soreness, induration, and erythema at the injection site and mild systemic reaction including headache, chills, fatigue, myalgia, and fever in a few persons. It was not possible to recover virus from the peripheral leukocytes, urine, or throat of seronegative persons who were vaccinated. Susceptible persons who were in contact with the vaccinated persons failed both to excrete virus and to develop antibody indicating lack of contagious spread of the vaccine virus. Continuing investigations to measure the safety and efficacy of the vaccine seem highly justified in view of the importance of the virus in fetal damage, transfusion disease, and organ transplantation.
Experimental Biology and Medicine | 1979
Alfred J. Carlson; Wallace L. Davidson; Arlene A. McLean; Philip P. Vella; Robert E. Weibel; Allen F. Woodhour; Maurice R. Hilleman
Summary Current pneumococcal vaccine contains 14 specific capsular polysaccharide antigens, each in 50-γg amount. Reduction of dosage to 25 or 12.5 γg per type gave reduced antibody responses in human subjects for most of the serotypes and these were less than current requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Specific antibody following vaccination declines slowly and there was no worthwhile increase in antibody on revaccination 1 to 1.5 years following prior vaccination. Reduction in the dosage of antigen to one-half or one-fourth the 50 γg per antigen amount eliminated the enhanced local and systemic reactions noted previously when the full vaccine amount was given but the time interval between vaccination and revaccination was not long enough to test for the ability of the reduced dose to restimulate antibody production. Pneumococcal and influenza virus vaccines given at the same time into opposite arms showed no important reduction in antibody response to either vaccine and there was no increase in local or systemic reactions compared with that found when the vaccines were given alone.
Experimental Biology and Medicine | 1980
Robert E. Weibel; Eugene B. Buynak; Arlene A. McLean; Robert R. Roehm; Maurice R. Hilleman
Abstract Antibody persistence was measured in children in the open community 10.5 years after combined measles-mumps-rubella (14 children), 9 years after measles-rubella (17 children), 10.5 years after mumps-rubella (9 children), and 7 years after measles-mumps (20 children) vaccines were given. There were increases, declines, and stationary titers among the children in the serum samples taken 6 weeks after vaccination compared with those taken at later time periods. This reflected a decline in antibody in some children and subclinical natural reinfection in others. Importantly, all the children still retained detectable antibody, indicating long-term persistence of immunity by vaccination with combined virus vaccines.
The New England Journal of Medicine | 1969
Robert E. Weibel; Joseph Stokes; Eugene B. Buynak; Maurice R. Hilleman
Abstract In all but one of 35 adult susceptible females on a suitable pregnancy control regimen rubella antibody developed after vaccination with HPV-77 rubella virus propagated in cell cultures of duck embryo. In 20 of the 35 women signs and symptoms consistent with rubella, including rash, arthritis, arthralgia, lymphadenopathy, malaise, and anorexia, developed. The illness was generally mild and transient though knee aspiration and intraarticular administration of hydrocortisone were indicated in one case. Rubella virus was recovered from the aspirated synovial fluid of one woman with arthritis whose knees were aspirated. Two women were treated with oral methyl prednisolone for five days. The onset of rash was 12 days after vaccination, on the average, and the beginning of arthritis arthralgia was 16 days. Recovery was complete.
Experimental Biology and Medicine | 1980
Philip P. Vella; Arlene A. McLean; Allen F. Woodhour; Robert E. Weibel; Maurice R. Hilleman
Abstract Adult persons who were given a pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine containing 50 μg each of 12 serotypes showed an average 10-fold increase in amount of antibody to the 12 antigens (range 6- to 20-fold) 1 month after vaccination and there was an approximate average 50% decline in antibody 31/2 years later. Children who were 2 to 12 years old at the time of vaccination showed about the same antibody response to the vaccine but this was less persistent and there was about a 55% decline, on the average, after only 21 months, The findings are discussed in the light of need for revaccination and of the nature of antibody responses to polysaccharide antigens.