Data for Defining the vaccination window for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) using age-seroprevalence data for children in Kilifi, Kenya

As a result, these findings provide evidence of availability of a promising candidate vaccine for young children and infants in the near future. The primary target for RSV vaccination is children under 6 months of age; a group highly susceptible to severe RSV disease[10]. However, vaccination of this age group is complicated by the presence of maternal antibodies, among other factors[11].

Assuming the efficacy of a potential vaccine is significantly reduced if administered in the presence of maternal antibodies, it follows that the age of vaccination should be delayed. However, a majority of primary RSV infections are acquired early in life[12] and so delaying vaccination could result in missing out on a large proportion of preventable infections. As such a vaccination window or age should be established such that there is minimal maternal antibody interference and a majority of infections have not occurred.

In this study we present the age-specific prevalence of antibodies to RSV from a rural community at the Kenyan coast. We then develop three nested catalytic models that explore different assumptions on the RSV specific antibody dynamics. Samples were selected randomly from pediatric admissions to a County hospital in coastal Kenya, and screened for antibodies to RSV by ELISA.

The data from this study provides basic understanding on natural response to RSV infection and has a bearing on the optimal age of RSV vaccine delivery.<br><br>Data record consists of 11 data files for MATLAB in .m format. Archived plasma samples were randomly selected within age strata from 960 children less than 145 months of age admitted to Kilifi County Hospital pediatric wards between 2007 and 2010. Samples were tested for antibodies to RSV using crude virus IgG ELISA.

Seroprevalence (and 95% confidence intervals) was estimated as the proportion of children with specific antibodies above a defined cut-off level. Nested catalytic models were used to explore different assumptions on antibody dynamics and estimate the rates of decay of RSV specific maternal antibody and acquisition of infection with age, and the average age of infection.