title: Epidemiology and immunity to tetanus in Sweden.
abstract: An investigation of tetanus antitoxin titres in the Swedish population was carried out in 1985. In Sweden, primary vaccination against tetanus has consisted of 3 doses at intervals of 4-6 weeks, beginning in the 2nd or 3rd month of life. A booster dose is offered to school children at 8-10 years of age. Three levels of antitoxin concentration (0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 U/ml) are used to demonstrate different titre levels. The interpretation is based on the premise that a serum level of 0.01 U/ml is sufficient to protect the subject against clinical tetanus. A protective titre level (greater than 0.01 U/ml) was found in 98-99% of children and young adults. A rapid decrease in the number of children with high titres (0.05-0.1 U/ml) was observed after the age of 1 and was very low in the 4-5-year-old children. An increase in the number with titres of 0.05 and 0.1 U/ml was seen after the booster dose given at school. A protective level was detected in all 21-30-year-old men and in 94% of the women, in 94% of 31-50-year-old men and in 73% of the women in the same age group. 70% of 31-40-year-old men reached antitoxin concentrations of 0.1 U/ml, and 38% of the 41-50-year-olds. The corresponding figures for women were 22% and 16% respectively. In people over 60 years, 80% of the men and 56% of the women reached protective levels of antibodies.
authors: National Bacteriological Laboratory, Department of Epidemiology, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Christenson
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Böttiger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D013548:Sweden; D013742:Tetanus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D013743:Tetanus Antitoxin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D013743:Tetanus Antitoxin