Tetanus diphtheria vaccine booster shots every 10 years are a waste of money, new findings suggest. A new study reveals that adults who were vaccinated as children were protected against the bacterial infections 30 years later.
Researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University said the latest findings, which go against current guidelines that recommend vaccine booster shots every 10 years for adults, could help save billions of dollars in health care costs.
"We have always been told to get a tetanus shot every 10 years, but actually, there is very little data to prove or disprove that timeline," said researcher Mark Slifka.
After examining data from more than 500 participants, Slifka and his team at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University found that adults who completed the standard five-dose childhood vaccine series had immunity against tetanus and diphtheria for at least 30 years.
"When we looked at the levels of immunity among 546 adults, we realized that antibody titers against tetanus and diphtheria lasted much longer then previously believed," said Slifka.
"These studies demonstrate that durable levels of protective antitoxin immunity exist in the majority of vaccinated individuals. Together, this suggests that it may no longer be necessary to administer booster vaccinations every 10 years and that the current adult vaccination schedule for tetanus and diphtheria should be revisited," wrote researchers.
In light of the latest findings, Slifka and his team said that individuals who've undergone the five-dose childhood vaccine series should get a vaccine booster shot at age 30 and another at 60.
"If you ask around, you often find that it is hard for people to remember if they had their last tetanus shot eight years ago or even 11 years ago," explained Slifka. "If we were to use a simple age-based system, people would only have to remember to get their shots when they turn 30 and again when they turn 60."
Researchers note that the latest findings also highlight the importance of childhood vaccines.
"We need to make sure our kids get all of their recommended vaccinations. I can't emphasize this enough. Only by getting the complete childhood series will these children grow into adults who will maintain strong vaccine-mediated protection against these important diseases," said Slifka.
"This must be reviewed and approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the group responsible for determining the vaccination schedules in the U.S.," concluded Slifka. "However, based on our results and the vaccination schedule already recommended by other countries and the World Health Organization, it might not be long before we can say goodbye to the traditional 10-year booster program."
The findings are published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
