title: Immune response to a 14-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in the elderly.
abstract: A study was carried out in 24 elderly patients, aged 69 years or over, to determine the antibody response to and tolerance of a 14-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. Patients were injected with 0.5 ml of the vaccine and blood samples were drawn before and 3 weeks afterwards. Antibody titres to 5 serotypes were measured by radioimmunoassay. The results showed that at least 92% of the patients had a 2-fold or greater antibody response (mean 5.1-fold increase or over). No systemic complaints were reported and after the first day only a few patients complained of erythema and/or soreness at the injection site.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000276:immunology*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial