Protective Levels and Tetanus Toxoid IgG Antibody at 12-47 Months Children in Batıkent No:1 Health Center

Tetanus is a serious disease with high mortality and very difficult to treat but preventable easily by vaccination. The number of tetanus cases reported in Turkey was 42 in 1996 and 51 in 1997. The vaccination for protection against tetanus in Turkey has been carried out in the frame of routine vaccination program. In this study, the children between 12 and 47 months of age and having tracer cards in the Number One Health Center in Bat›kent district in Ankara were investigated. Forty-one of all had received only three doses of tetanus toxoid vaccine while 47 children had received both 3 doses of vaccine and one booster dose. In this study, the rate of anti-toxoid IgG antibody and its protective level in their blood sera was investigated by using ELISA method. The antibody level more than 0.01 IU/mL was found in 57%, 43%, 45% of blood sera of children having three doses of vaccine at 2, 3, 4 years of age groups, respectively. These rates in the other group having one additional booster dose were found respectively 91%, 87%, 60% at the age of 2, 3, 4. The response of protective antibody was found higher in children having booster dose than the others. The response of antibody can be also increased by controlling periodically the immunization status and giving vaccination doses as required. So, it would be possible for the protection from tetanus a disease with high mortality and low treatment chance