Children vaccinated early during a measles epidemic show a sharper drop-off in antibody concentrations over time than children vaccinated at the recommended age, according to new findings.

Aantibody concentrations decline faster in early-vaccinated children than children vaccinated at the regular age of 14 months, says author Dr Robert van Binnendijk, of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven in the Netherlands.

“That’s why we would like to follow these children for a longer period of time, to see if, and how long they remain protected,” he said.

During the 2013-2014 measles epidemic in the Netherlands, parents of infants aged 6-12 months living in areas with vaccination coverage below 90% were offered a measles shot in addition to regular vaccination at 14 months.