Prevalence and correlates of diphtheria toxin antibodies among young adults in Israel

Summary The paucity of information about immunity against diphtheria of young adults in Israel prompted us to analyse sera from a random sample of 480 recruits (263 males and 217 females) aged 18–19 years. Antitoxin antibody levels were determined by means of ELISA. Of the recruits 58·1 % had antibody values greater than 0·1 IU/ml; 38·5 % had amounts between 0·01 and 0·1 IU/ml, which is considered low when using the ELISA method, and 3·3 % had less than 0·1 IU/ml. The results of this study suggest that a booster dose of antidiphtheria vaccine should be given to adults in Israel in order to ensure adequate antibody levels.