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Diphtheria and Tetanus Immunity
- Geraldine M. McQuillan, PhD; and
- Susan Y. Chu, PhD
- National Center for Health Statistics; Hyattsville, MD 20782 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Atlanta, GA 30329
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IN RESPONSE:
The current supply of tetanus–diphtheria toxoids is now sufficient (1) to resume the routine schedule for tetanus–diphtheria boosters every 10 years, as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (2). Adherence to this schedule provides the best strategy for improving immunization to both these diseases in the United States. As Dr. Balestra mentions, the disparity between tetanus and diphtheria immunity suggests that tetanus toxoid boosters are being used for wound management instead of tetanus–diphtheria boosters (2). Physicians should take the opportunity of providing boosters of tetanus–diphtheria, not tetanus toxoid, to their patients for both wound management and routine immunization. This will help prevent in the United States the situation seen in the former Soviet Union in the 1990s (3), when diphtheria reemerged because of decreasing population immunity. We hope our data have made both physicians and their patients more aware of the adult immunization schedule and the need to receive tetanus–diphtheria boosters.
Geraldine M. McQuillan, PhD
National Center for Health Statistics
Hyattsville, MD 20782
Susan Y. Chu, PhD
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, GA 30329
The Editors welcome submissions for possible publication in the Letters section. Authors of letters should:
•Include no more than 300 words of text, three authors, and five references
•Type with double-spacing
•Send three copies of the letter, an authors' form signed by all authors, and a cover letter describing any conflicts of interest related to the contents of the letter.
Letters commenting on an Annals article will be considered if they are received within 6 weeks of the time the article was published. Only some of the letters received can be published. Published letters are edited and may be shortened; tables and figures are included only selectively. Authors will be notified that the letter has been received. If the letter is selected for publication, the author will be notified about 3 weeks before the publication date. Unpublished letters cannot be returned.
Annals welcomes electronically submitted letters.
- Copyright ©2004 by the American College of Physicians
