Abstract
Only active immunization provides protection against tetanus with virtual certainty. Therefore immunization schedules comprising of basic and booster injections have been widely used, sometimes even overused. In every country, we believe, there is a need to evaluate the immune status of the population towards the disease. We have conducted such a serosurvey in reservists of the IDF, and demonstrated good protection levels in the young age group, while only two thirds of those over 45 years of age were protected (&0.01 IU/ml). In different army branches (Corps) we found a large variation of protection levels, ranging between 67 and 95 per cent. No influence of the military task of those reservists, upon the protective antitoxoid levels could be shown. A very good correlation was demonstrated between the increased duration of time since last booster injection and the decline in protection levels and geometric mean concentrations. However, the decline was rapid with only ⅔ of the elderly (over 45) still protected after eight to thirteen years since the last injection. The results call for a more conservative schedule of frequent booster administration in our elderly population than is presently recommended in the publications.
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