A contribution to the interpretation of immunological survey records.

In certain infection types the use of official immunological survey figures expressed mathematically by means of exponential distribution or its distributional function may help assess the epidemiological trends in herd immunity levels. This approach to the evaluation of immunological survey records is primarily well applicable to infections that are uniform in exposure pattern, affect the entire population, and result in life-long immunity. The parameters characterizing the rise in the level of herd immunity can be determined by means of negative exponential regression. Applied to selected immunological survey data this essentially simple catalytic model of investigation may provide reliable information on the actual state of immunity in the general population, and may also help estimate its dynamics in the retrospect.