ANTIBODY-RESPONSE TO PNEUMOCOCCAL CAPSULAR POLYSACCHARIDE VACCINE IN THE ELDERLY

Antibody response to 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine was assessed in 35 0 subjects (131 men, 219 women) aged 65-91 years. IgG antibodies to pn eumococcal serotypes 4, 6B, 9V, 14, 19F, and 23F were measured by EIA after blocking of antibodies to cell wall polysaccharide. Antibody con centrations in both pre- and postvaccination sera (mean interval, 35 d ays) were higher in elderly men than women; in the women, the concentr ations decreased significantly with increasing age, but not in the men . Antibody fold increases were good in the elderly, including those gr eater than or equal to 85 years old. The overall percentage of the eld erly with antibody concentrations > 1 mu g/mL to the 6 antigens increa sed by vaccination from 61% to 87%, but in the women greater than or e qual to 85 years old, only to 75%. Antibody response to 23-valent pneu mococcal vaccine was satisfactory in the elderly.