Abstract
Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids (DT) vaccine should be given to children at 2, 4 and 6 months of age when there are contraindications to the administration of pertussis vaccine. We have previously reported that such children develop protective antitoxin antibody levels to diphtheria and tetanus antigens. This follow-up study evaluates the decay in antitoxin antibody levels and the booster response elicited to DT antigen when a fourth dose is given at approximately 18 months of age. Twenty-three children receiving DT vaccine were compared to 38 receiving diphtheria and tetanus toxoids-pertussis (DTP) vaccine. The prebooster antibody titer to diphtheria and tetanus at approximately 18 months of age had declined below the recommended protective level in one child who had received DT vaccine and in three children who had received DTP. Following the 18-month booster dose of DT and DTP vaccine, all of the children had protective titers to diphtheria and tetanus toxin. These results suggest that the adjuvant effects of pertussis vaccine are not required to achieve adequate immunization to diphtheria and tetanus when currently available DT vaccine is used in early childhood.
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