Immunity to tetanus among Italians born between 1956 and 1963.
Systematic mandatory immunization of children against tetanus begun in Italy in 1968. Preceding birth cohorts, accounting for almost 80% of present Italian population, were poorly immune or totally non-immune; around 90% of cases of tetanus occurring in Italy in recent years are observed among them. In a national sample of 4770 young males born between 1956 and 1963, about one third was not protected. Prevalence of non-immune subjects was greater in the Southern Regions and the Islands, in rural areas, among the unemployed, among the older birth cohorts.
Rosmini
F
F
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Gentili
G
G
Wirz
M
M
Collotti
C
C
Panà
A
A
Terzi
I
I
Conti
S
S
Pasquini
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D003017:Clostridium tetani / Q000276:immunology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D013742:Tetanus / Q000276:immunology*; D013743:Tetanus Antitoxin / Q000032:analysis; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000276:immunology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D013743:Tetanus Antitoxin; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid