Antibody Response to Pneumococcal Capsular Polysaccharide Vaccine in the Elderly

Abstract

Antibody response to 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine was assessed in 350 subjects (131 men, 219 women)aged 65–91 years. IgG antibodies to pneumococcal serotypes 4, 6B, 9V, 14, 19F, and 23F were measured by EIA after blocking of antibodies to cell wall polysaccharide. Antibody concentrations in both pre- and postvaccination sera (mean interval, 35 days) were higher in elderly men than women; in the women, the concentrations decreased significantly with increasing age, but not in the men. Antibody fold increases were good in the elderly, including those ⩾85 years old. The overall percentage of the elderly with antibody concentrations >1 µg/mL to the 6 antigens increased by vaccination from 61% to 87%, but in the women ⩾85 years old, only to 75%. Antibody response to 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine was satisfactory in the elderly.