Durability of immunity to diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis after a three dose immunization schedule completed in the first eight months of life.

Blood samples were obtained from school entrants whose primary immunization schedule had consisted of three doses of DT or DTP vaccine and three doses of OPV all given before the age of 8 months. The sera were separated and assayed for diphtheria antitoxin, tetanus antitoxin and antibodies to the three serotypes of poliovirus. The results of the assays showed that the abbreviated three dose schedule induced satisfactory immunity to all five infections until school entry and that a reinforcing dose at 18 months was unnecessary.

Estimation of Corynebacterium diphtheriae antitoxin in human sera: a comparison of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with the toxin neutralisation test.

Serum samples from 101 individuals were titrated for Corynebacterium diphtheriae antitoxin by an IgG-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a neutralisation test in tissue culture (TC). In some of the sera, the concentrations of antitoxin determined by the two assays were different; antitoxin values in these sera were titrated again by neutralisation tests in guinea pigs (GNT). Antitoxin concentrations of greater than 0.

The activity of purified Bordetella pertussis components in murine encephalopathy.

A murine encephalopathic syndrome can be induced by the administration of BSA and whole-cell pertussis vaccine. The present paper reports studies of the capacity of purified individual pertussis components to induce this effect. Pertussis toxin and endotoxin together with a highly immunogenic sensitizer protein were required to induce the effect.

Diphtheria vaccine for adults.

A low dose (1.5 Lf) diphtheria vaccine for use in adults was given to 310 university student volunteers whose diphtheria antitoxin titres were less than 0.1 IU per ml.