Open AccessImmunity to diphtheria and tetanus in inner-city women of childbearing age.
Author(s) -
Beryla . Koblin,
Timothy R. Townsend
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.79.9.1297
Subject(s) - diphtheria , tetanus , medicine , antitoxin , immunity , pediatrics , corynebacterium diphtheriae , immunology , vaccination , biology , immune system , toxin , microbiology and biotechnology
This study was conducted to determine immunity to diphtheria and tetanus in 232 inner-city women experiencing a recent birth. Forty-three (18.5 percent) of the women had levels of diphtheria antitoxin below the protective level (less than 0.01 unit/ml), whereas only 10 (4.3 percent) had insufficient levels of tetanus antitoxin. The percent of women susceptible increased with age, with 33 percent and 25 percent of women over the age of 30 years susceptible to diphtheria and tetanus, respectively.