TBE-antibody titer study: Is a booster already necessary after 5 years?

Abstract

As long as there is only symptomatic treatment against thick-borne encephalitis (TBE) available, vaccination is considered the only prevention against infection. The national vaccination recommendations prescribe a booster vaccination every 5 years after a basic vaccination has been carried out. This study deals with the question if antibodies in sufficient concentration exist or not when the last immunization had been five years ago. The TBE titer was determined in 168 subjects using indirect ELISA and the vaccination history was collected. The results show that 97.3 % of the participants have a sufficient titer 5 years after the last booster vaccination. The time period since the last booster and the type of the vaccine influence the antibody level the most. In conclusion, it was found that by controlling the titer, it is possible to postpone a booster vaccination, if the immunization is still sufficient.