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Contact Details

Email
sahsu918@student.otago.ac.nz

University Links

Position
PhD candidate
Department
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health (Dunedin)
Qualifications
MBBS, DNB (Family Medicine), MPH
Research summary
Waning immunity to measles in fully immunised young adults

Research

It has long been known that vaccine-induced antibody levels are lower and less long-lasting than antibody following recovery from wild measles infection, which induces lifelong protection. To prevent future measles outbreaks in vaccinated young people in measles-eliminated settings, it is imperative to better understand the level of measles antibody required for protection and to examine the effectiveness of measures to boost immunity in young adults.

Sumanta's research addresses the following:

  • Component 1 – descriptive study of measles antibody and MMR vaccination status, examining the proportion of fully vaccinated young people with and without measles protective antibody levels
  • Component 2 – comparison of assays measuring measles antibody status
  • Component 3 – clinical trial of alternate routes of delivering MMR vaccine
  • Component 4 – challenge antibody threshold study using MMR vaccine delivered by aerosol

Additional details

Sumanta is an International student who received a full Scholarship from Te Niwha, Aotearoa's Infectious Diseases Research Platform that has been established to prepare for known and emerging disease threats.

Publications

Saha, S., Millier, M., Ussher, J., ten Hulscher-van Overbeek, H., van Binnendijk, R., & McIntyre, P. (2025). Accuracy of measles serology and post M measles antibody responses via alternate vaccine delivery routes. Proceedings of the Infectious Diseases & Pandemic Preparedness Summit. (pp. 39). Retrieved from https://www.teniwha.com Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Saha, S., van Binnendijk, R., Ussher, J., ten Hulscher, H., Millier, M., & McIntyre, P. (2025). Limitations of serological screening for measles immunity in young health care workers in New Zealand. Vaccine, 68. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127931 Journal - Research Article

Saha, S., Millier, M., Ussher, J., Overbeek, H., Binnendijk, R., & McIntyre, P. (2025, September). Low accuracy of routine measles serology in New Zealand and Me antibody responses post MMR given intradermally or by aerosol vs intramuscular route. Workshop presentation at the Aotearoa New Zealand Immunisation Conference, Hamilton, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Saha, S., Philip, M., & McIntyre, P. (2025). Patterns of measles seronegativity in health professional students at University of Otago. Proceedings of the Communicable Diseases and Immunisation Conference (CDIC). 326. Retrieved from https://www.cdic2025.com/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Saha, S., Millier, M., Ussher, J., van Binnendijk, R., & McIntyre, P. (2025). Post-MMR3 measles, mumps, and rubella antibody level changes in seronegative young adults. Proceedings of the Communicable Diseases and Immunisation Conference (CDIC). 324. Retrieved from https://www.cdic2025.com/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

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