Is Diphtheria Booster Vaccination Still Necessary in Turkey?

Abstract

Introduction: Diphtheria is a serious disease that can be prevented by vaccination. The aim of the study was to determine immunity against diphtheria and the necessity of booster doses in the adult population.Materials and Methods: Serum antibody levels and immunity against diphtheria were determined in 568 healthy participants and results were assessed using chi-square test. Diphtheria antibody level was measured by micro-ELISA technique using NovaTec Corynebacterium diphtheriae toxin IgG ELISA kits (Dietzenbach, Germany). Antitoxin level <0.1 IU/mL was considered to be insufficient immunity and level ≥0.1 IU/mL was accepted as full immunity against diphtheria. Results: A total of 568 individuals were included in the study, [267 (47%) female and 301 (53%) male]. Of these, 267 cases (47%) had full immunity. Immunity distribution rates in each decade beginning from 15 years old were 80.8%, 48.4%, 24.1%, 43.7%, 39.2%, 50%, and 53.3%, respectively. It was observed that females aged 26-35 years had a significantly higher immunity rate than males in the same age group (p=0.035). Conclusion: Adult immunity against diphtheria may only be maintained with routine booster doses of diphtheria toxoid. Tetanus-diphtheria vaccination should be included in the adult immunization program and should be repeated every 10 years.

Keywords

• Corynebacterium diphtheriae
• epidemiology
• community health
• vaccinology
• public health