Peer-reviewed article
Tetanus Toxoid Vaccination During Pregnancy: Immunoglobulin G Response and Importance of Second Dose
Ikhmah Sulistyowati, St. Maisuri T. Chalid, Irnawati Bahar, Isharyah Sunarno, Lenny M. Lisal et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This study looked at tetanus-specific antibody (IgG) levels in 112 pregnant women at one women's and children's hospital in Makassar, Indonesia. It compared women who had received tetanus-diphtheria vaccination during pregnancy with women who had not. Vaccinated women had higher antibody levels, and women who had two doses had higher levels than those who had one. The authors conclude that the second dose matters and argue for policies and programmes that expand coverage to include it.
Key points
- 112 pregnant women took part, in a case-control design.
- Vaccinated women had significantly higher tetanus-specific IgG levels than unvaccinated women (P<0.001).
- Women who received two doses had significantly higher IgG than those who received one dose (P=0.003).
- Age, body mass index, gravidity and educational level did not significantly affect IgG levels.
- Tetanus toxoid coverage during pregnancy remains low in several developing countries, including Indonesia.
Limitations
The abstract reports antibody levels in mothers only. It does not report any outcomes for newborns or children, such as neonatal tetanus. It covers a single hospital in Makassar, so results may not apply to Indonesia as a whole. The abstract gives no effect sizes.
Abstract
Background & Objective: Tetanus toxoid vaccination is a recommended preventive measure during pregnancy; however, coverage remains low in several developing countries, including Indonesia. No studies have specifically examined the effect of tetanus vaccine doses on Immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in Indonesian pregnant women. Therefore, the present study was conducted with aim to determine tetanus-specific IgG antibody levels in this population.Materials & Methods: This analytical descriptive study with a case-control design was conducted at Sitti Khadijah 1 Women's and Children's Hospital in Makassar, Indonesia. Pregnant women were divided into two groups based on whether they had or neither received tetanus-diphtheria vaccinations during pregnancy. Serum levels of tetanus-specific IgG antibodies were measured using an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (version 27.0). P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: A total of 112 pregnant women were enrolled. A significant association was found between tetanus toxoid vaccination and IgG levels, with vaccinated women exhibiting higher IgG concentrations (P<0.001). Furthermore, women who received two vaccine doses had significantly higher IgG levels compared to those receiving only one dose (P=0.003). Age, body mass index, gravidity, and educational level did not significantly influence IgG levels (P>0.05).Conclusion: Two doses of tetanus toxoid vaccination during pregnancy significantly increase IgG antibody levels in pregnant women. These findings reinforce the importance of expanding tetanus immunization coverage among pregnant women, particularly in Indonesia, to include the second dose through effective health policies and programs.