ABSTRACT
A study was made of the titres of tetanus antitoxin in the sera of 186 recruits and 886 serving personnel. All were found to have titres of more than 0.01 IU per ml, the titre regarded as sufficient to provide protection from tetanus. The percentage of recruits with tetanus antitoxin titres less than 0.1 IU per ml was significantly greater than the percentage of serving personnel with antitoxin titres less than 0.1 IU per ml and the overall geometric mean titre of the antitoxin in the sera of the recruits was significantly lower than that in the sera of the serving personnel. In the light of the finding that all of the recruits had protective levels of tetanus antitoxin and in view of the imminent withdrawal of TABT Vaccine, alternative strategies for immunisation against tetanus are presented.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Bacterial/analysis , Immunization Schedule , Military Personnel , Tetanus Toxoid/analysis , Adolescent , Adult , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Humans , Immunosorbent Techniques , Middle Aged , Tetanus Toxoid/administration & dosageABSTRACT
Blood samples were obtained from school entrants whose primary immunization schedule had consisted of three doses of DT or DTP vaccine and three doses of OPV all given before the age of 8 months. The sera were separated and assayed for diphtheria antitoxin, tetanus antitoxin and antibodies to the three serotypes of poliovirus. The results of the assays showed that the abbreviated three dose schedule induced satisfactory immunity to all five infections until school entry and that a reinforcing dose at 18 months was unnecessary.
Subject(s)
Diphtheria Toxoid/administration & dosage , Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine/administration & dosage , Diphtheria/immunology , Poliomyelitis/immunology , Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral/administration & dosage , Tetanus Toxoid/administration & dosage , Tetanus/immunology , Antibodies, Viral/analysis , Diphtheria-Tetanus Vaccine , Drug Combinations/administration & dosage , Humans , Immunization Schedule , Infant , Infant, NewbornABSTRACT
A low dose (1.5 Lf) diphtheria vaccine for use in adults was given to 310 university student volunteers whose diphtheria antitoxin titres were less than 0.1 IU per ml. The incidence of adverse reactions was low. Postimmunisation blood samples taken from 134 of the students showed that in susceptible vaccinees the vaccine induced titres of antitoxin were consistent with protection and that it boosted the titres of those whose immunity was low.
Subject(s)
Diphtheria Toxoid/administration & dosage , Vaccination , Adult , Age Factors , Diphtheria Antitoxin/analysis , Humans , Immunization, SecondarySubject(s)
Tetanus Toxoid/adverse effects , Adolescent , Adsorption , Child , Edema/etiology , Erythema/etiology , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Pain/etiology , Tetanus Antitoxin/analysis , Tetanus Toxoid/administration & dosageABSTRACT
A survey of titres of diphtheria and tetanus antitoxins and of antibodies to polioviruses in the sera of 291 schoolchildren aged 15, 11, and 7 years showed that high immunisation rates can evoke protective concentrations of tetanus antitoxin in 98% of children and protective levels of the antibodies to diphtheria and all three types of poliomyelitis in 85% of children. Reinforcing immunisation at school entry appeared to be necessary to maintain adequate titres of diphtheria antitoxin in children up to 15 years of age, not essential to maintain adequate titres of tetanus antitoxin, and to have little effect on the titres of antibodies to poliomyelitis.
Subject(s)
Diphtheria/immunology , Poliomyelitis/immunology , Tetanus/immunology , Adolescent , Antibodies, Viral/analysis , Child , Diphtheria Antitoxin/analysis , England , Humans , Immunization, Secondary , Poliovirus/immunology , Tetanus Antitoxin/analysisABSTRACT
To facilitate the quality control of tetanus toxoids used in the formulation of adsorbed vaccines, an equine antitetanus serum has been extensively assayed and established as the British Reference preparation for tetanus antitoxin for the flocculation test.
