Artigo
Tetanus and diphtheria immunity in adolescents from São Paulo, Brazil
Fecha
2007-02-01Registro en:
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research. Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica, v. 40, n. 2, p. 259-263, 2007.
0100-879X
S0100-879X2007000200013.pdf
S0100-879X2007000200013
10.1590/S0100-879X2006005000071
WOS:000243977400013
Autor
Dinelli, Maria Isabel Saraiva [UNIFESP]
Fisberg, Mauro [UNIFESP]
De Moraes-Pinto, Maria Isabel [UNIFESP]
Institución
Resumen
Tetanus and diphtheria vaccines are of special concern in adolescents because boosters are necessary for adequate maintenance of protection and are often omitted. We assessed serum levels of tetanus and diphtheria antibodies in adolescents and their association with vaccination status. From May to October 2001, we evaluated the vaccination records of 208 adolescents aged 10 to 20 years in São Paulo, Brazil. Antibodies to tetanus and diphtheria were detected using double-antigen ELISA and vaccination records were analyzed according to the guidelines of the Brazilian National Immunization Program. All adolescents had received complete primary vaccinations against tetanus and diphtheria, but 23.1% of them had not received a booster dose in the last 10 years. All adolescents were immune to tetanus and 88.9% were fully protected (antibodies ³0.1 IU/mL). One individual (0.5%) was non-immune to diphtheria and 86% were fully protected against the disease. Adolescents with up-to-date vaccination records had higher antibody levels than those with not up-to-date records for tetanus (0.763 vs 0.239 IU/mL, t-test: P < 0.0001) and diphtheria (0.366 vs 0.233 IU/mL, t-test: P = 0.014). Full immunity against tetanus (antibodies ³0.1 IU/mL) was higher among individuals with up-to-date vaccination (93.1%) when compared to those with not up-to-date records (75%, Fisher's exact test: P = 0.001). All adolescents had received basic immunization in childhood and were protected against tetanus and diphtheria. However, these data indicate that more emphasis should be placed on the tetanus-diphtheria booster in order to avoid a decay in antibody levels.