Antibody response to pneumococcal vaccination in the elderly.
In order to evaluate the antibody response to primary pneumococcal vaccination in the elderly, 20 healthy persons aged 60 years or older, (mean age 62.8) were vaccinated with a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (Pneumovax 23). Blood samples were taken before and 4 weeks after vaccination and pneumococcal antibody concentrations were measured by ELISA and compared with those obtained after vaccination of younger persons (mean age 39 years). Significantly lower anti-type 2 antibody concentrations were found in the elderly after vaccination. Apart from this, no other significant differences were found neither in pre- and post-vaccination antibody concentrations nor in antibody fold increases between the two groups.
WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Pneumococci, Statens Serum-institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Konradsen
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Henrichsen
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines