title: Control of epidemic meningococcal meningitis by mass vaccination. II. Persistence of antibody four years after vaccination.
abstract: Meningococcal antibody was measured in 928 persons vaccinated with combined groups A and C polysaccharide antigens in Bauchi State, Nigeria between 1979 and 1982. Protective amounts of antibody were detected by the indirect haemagglutination technique up to 4 years after vaccination. This persistence was observed mainly in adults, although a substantial proportion of older children also had persistent antibody. Titres in younger children fell progressively, and by the third year the mean log2 antibody titre was 1.4; this may not confer protection against disease. A rational policy for vaccination against meningococcal meningitis would be to revaccinate younger children after 2 years, older children after 4 years, and adults after 6-8 or more years.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology*; D009549:Nigeria; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; C043226:meningococcal group A polysaccharide; C037676:meningococcal group C polysaccharide