[Influence of information campaigns on the vaccination immunity among the population of a small town area - seroepidemiological results of the 'Wittlich Vaccination Study']

Abstract

In the course of the three-phase 'Wittlich Vaccination Study' the population immunity against tetanus, diphtheria and poliomyelitis was controlled in all age groups of the regional population. Antibody measuring was done in specific validated enzyme immunoassays and neutralisation tests. After performing several campaigns for training and informing medical staff and the population about vaccinations the effect of these campaigns was checked in an additional control of the population immunity. The part of not or only partially protected participants decreased for tetanus from 36.7 % to 2.8 % and for diphtheria from 61 % to 51 %. The gap in population immunity was reduced for polio virus type 1 from 6.7 % to 3.1 %, for polio virus type 2 from 6.2 % to 2.5 % and for polio virus type 3 from 13.2 % to 3.6 %. The study design can be transferred to regions with comparable structure of their population.