| We have recently found that approximately 60% of children who were reported to have received three or more DPT/OPV vaccines in China, Russia or Eastern Europe have no antibodies to these diseases. This means that either the vaccines used were outdated or improperly stored, the child lacked an appropriate immunologic response after vaccination, or the vaccination certificate was fraudulent.
We recommend testing for diphtheria and tetanus antibodies in any child who has reportedly received three or more DPT vaccines. If antibodies are absent or low, or if the child has received fewer than three DPT vaccines, we would advocate starting the immunization sequence over again, according to the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics for children not immunized in the first year of life.*
*2000 Red Book; Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases; American Academy of Pediatrics; Elk Grove Village, IL; p. 52.
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