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Tetanus immunity in an older Australian population
T C Heath1, W Smith, A G Capon
1National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Canberra. timothyh@phu.wh.su.edu.au
The Medical Journal of Australia
|May 20, 1996
Summary
Many older Australians lack tetanus immunity due to poor vaccination coverage. Self-reported vaccination history is unreliable for assessing tetanus protection, highlighting a need for better adult immunization records.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Public Health
- Geriatrics
Background:
- Tetanus vaccination programs aim to maintain protective antitoxin levels.
- Assessing immunity in older adults is crucial for public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the current tetanus vaccination program in older Australians.
- To compare self-reported vaccination history with serologically measured tetanus immunity.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional survey of tetanus immunity using enzyme immunoassay on serum samples.
- Inclusion of 430 randomly selected adults aged 49 and older from the Blue Mountains Eye Study population.
Main Results:
- 52% of adults aged 49+ had protective tetanus antitoxin levels (>0.15 IU/mL).
- Immunity prevalence declined with increasing age, and women were less likely to be immune.
- Self-reported vaccination history was a poor indicator of actual tetanus immunity.
Conclusions:
- Approximately half of older adults in the Blue Mountains lack protective tetanus antitoxin levels.
- Inadequate vaccination coverage in this age group contributes to low immunity.
- A system for accurate recording of adult tetanus vaccination is needed.