Immunity and immunization in elderly

As the average life expectancy increases, retired people want to travel. Five to 8% of travellers in tropical areas are :old persons. Immune system suffers of old age as the other organs. The number and the functions of the T lymphocytes decrease, but the B-lymphocytes are not altered. So, the response to the vaccinations is slower and lower in the elderly. Influenza is a great cause of death rate in old people. The seroconversion, after vaccine, is 50% from 60, to 70 years old, 31% from 70 to 80 years old, and only 11% after 80 years old. But in public health, the vaccination reduced the morbidity by 25%, admission to hospital by 20%, pneumonia by 50%, and mortality by 70%. Antipoliomyelitis vaccine is useful for travellers, as the vaccines against hepatitis and typhoid fever. Pneumococcal vaccine is effective in 60%. Tetanus is fatal in at last 32% of the people above 80 years, therefore this vaccine is very important.. (C) 2003 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.