Simultaneous Oral Administration of Live Adenovirus Types 4 and 7 Vaccines

Live, enteric, adenovirus vaccines, types 4 and 7, were administered orally to 4,957 trainees at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss, in January 1970. All received type 4 and half of the men were also given type 7 vaccine. Over the next five months an additional 4,364 new trainees were given both vaccines. Although there was less frequent virus excretion when two serotypes were administered simultaneously than when one was given alone, neutralizing antibody responses were unaffected. In spite of adenovirus epidemics during the previous ten years and one following year of observation (1971), during the period of vaccine administration only 14 cases of complement-fixing antibody rises were noted, and 11 of these were probably due to vaccine. Also, acute respiratory disease rates were reduced. No adenoviruses of any type were recovered from the pharyngeal washings of any of the vaccinees during or six months following completion of the study.