All issues > Volume 51(11); 2008

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2008;51(11):1185-1190. Published online November 15, 2008.

The immunogenicity and reactogenicity of Td booster vaccination in Korean preadolescents, aged with 11-12 years old

Soo Young SY Lee¹, Ga Young GY Kwak¹, Hye Rin HR Mok¹, Jong Hyun JH Kim¹, Jae Kyun JK Hur¹, Kyung Il KI Lee¹, Park Joon PJ Su², Sang Hyuk SH Ma³, Hwang Min HM Kim⁴, Jin Han JH Kang¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, The Catholic University of Korea
²Department of Pediatrics, Soon Cheon Hyang University
³Department of Pediatrics, Changwon Fatima Hospital
⁴Department of Pediatrics, WonJu Yonsei University

Correspondence Jin Han JH Kang ,Email: kjhan@catholic.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: This study was undertaken to evaluate the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of Td booster immunization in early preadolescents of Korea.
Methods
: Healthy preadolescents, who had been vaccinated with 4 or 5 doses of DTaP vaccines until 6 years old age, were enrolled in this study from August 2006 to April 2007. Diphtheria and tetanus anti-toxoid antibodies in sera were measured by ELISA just before vaccination and 4 weeks after vaccination to evaluate immunogenicity. Local and systemic adverse reactions observed for 4 weeks after vaccination to access reactogenicity.
Results
: 183 preadolescents were enrolled and mean age was 11.40±0.51 years old. All subjects achieved seroprotective diphtheria and tetanus anti-toxoid antibodies (titers ≥0.1 IU/mL) after Td booster vaccination. Among 183 vaccinees, 73.8% showed local adverse reactions and 37.2% systemic adverse reactions. Pain at injection site (66.1%) was the most common local reaction, and the most commonly shown systemic reaction was myalgia (17.5%). The adverse reactions were spontaneously relieved within three days after vaccination.
Conclusion
: Td vaccine in this study was high immunogenic and showed an acceptable tolerance in Korean preadolescents. Td booster vaccination at 11-12 years old is the most effective method to increase compliance of the vaccination and to decrease the incidence of diphtheria and tetanus.

Keywords :Diphtheria-Tetanus vaccine, Immunization, Efficiency, Safety