[Study of anti-tetanus immunity in samples of the Italian population. I. Epidemiological considerations on tetanus in Italy and description of the technic adopted for sero-epidemiological studies].

The effectiveness of vaccinal prophilactic measures adopted in Italy since 1963 both on a volluteer and on a compulsory base, is analyzed according to the specific morbidity rates computed on a national base up to 1973. Rates for infants and young people have dramatically decreased, but rates for adult and old subjects still keep unmodified. Therefore, a tetanus vaccination involving adults and old people seems advisable, followed, as for children, by regular booster injection. A study on levels of immunity in samples of the population and another study on the duration of immunity after vaccination are supposed to be a reasonable base on which to build a program of vaccination in adults and old people. Such studies will be detailed in Note II and Note III. Note I describes and omments the technique adopted for the seroepidemiological studies.