Insufficient protection for healthy elderly adults by tetanus and TBE vaccines
Abstract
Little information is available on post-vaccination antibody concentrations and the duration of protection in persons of more than 20 years of age. We, therefore, measured antibodies specific for tetanus (TT) or tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus in 734 adults (age 18-93 years, 382 females and 352 males) and evaluated these data in connection with the time point of the last vaccination against tetanus or TBE and age. This analysis revealed that the time of the last vaccination as well as age had highly significant effects on tetanus and TBE titers (p < 0.001). Our results show a strong decline in post-vaccination antibody concentrations with age, which sets in at the age of 40 in the case of tetanus, and is observed right throughout adult life in the case of TBE. Persons over 60 years of age frequently do not have protective antibody concentrations. We conclude that immunological responsiveness to vaccination decreases throughout adult life, and that conventional vaccination strategies designed for children and young adults cannot be uncritically applied in the elderly.
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The immune system changes with age in nearly every aspect, generally leading to weaker pathogen immunity.
“The immune system changes with age in nearly every aspect, generally resulting in a decline in pathogen immunity with increased age.”
From SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 and the aging immune system (2021) · cites this paper as [6]
Ageing is associated with high morbidity and mortality from various infections and with substantially lower vaccine efficacy.
“ageing is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates for various infections and significant reductions in vaccine efficacy1-6”
From SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 and the aging immune system (2021) · cites this paper as [6]
Vaccination of older individuals is only partially successful; generating new immune memory and boosting existing memory are less efficient than in childhood.
“Attempts to improve immune competence through vaccination programs of older individuals have been only partially successful; generating immune memory to new antigens and boosting existing memory are less efficient than in childhood”
From Successful and Maladaptive T Cell Aging (2017) · cites this paper as Hainz et al., 2005
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Hainz, U., Jenewein, B., Asch, E., Pfeiffer, K.-P., Berger, P., & Grubeck-Loebenstein, B.
- Affiliations
- Austrian Academy of Sciences (AT)
- Universität Innsbruck (AT)
- Venue
- Vaccine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2005-05
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 25
- Pages
- 3232-3235
- ISSN
- 0264-410X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2025821286
- Cited by
- 224
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 5.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Vaccine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Endocrinology › Diphtheria, Corynebacterium, and Tetanus
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune responses and vaccinations
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Microbiology › Bacterial Infections and Vaccines
- Keywords
- tetanus vaccine, tick-borne encephalitis vaccine, antibody titers, duration of protection, immunosenescence, older adults, vaccination strategies, seroprevalence
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Antibodies, Bacterial, Antibodies, Viral, Encephalitis, Tick-Borne, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Tetanus, Tetanus Toxoid, Viral Vaccines, Treatment Failure
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