TBE booster immunization according to the rapid immunization schedule: are 3-year booster intervals really necessary?

Vaccine. 2004 Dec 2;23(3):312-5. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2004.06.007.

Abstract

In order to evaluate the need for further booster immunizations, 222 subjects aged 20-52 years, who had received the first booster dose with a new tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) vaccine in a preceding study, were invited for a serological follow-up. A total of 191 and 182 adult subjects were analyzed for the persistence of neutralizing TBE antibodies at 1 and 2 years following the first booster immunization, respectively. Both serological follow-ups revealed high levels of neutralizing TBE antibodies in more than 99% of subjects. Although an expected decline of the respective geometric mean titers (GMTs) was noted after booster immunization, the titers were still far above the values noted after primary immunization at the 2-year follow-up. The kinetic curve clearly indicates a longer persistence of neutralizing TBE antibodies than currently expected. To conclude, these results suggest that the administration of a further booster dose 3 years after the first one (according to current recommendations) does not seem to be necessary in this study population.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / immunology*
  • Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / immunology*
  • Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / prevention & control*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate
  • Immunization Schedule*
  • Immunization, Secondary / methods
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neutralization Tests
  • Time Factors
  • Vaccination / methods
  • Viral Vaccines / administration & dosage*
  • Viral Vaccines / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Viral Vaccines