Abstract

Aims: To assess the protective titers of polio antibodies in medical and Allied Health Sciences students and compare vaccination status of students with their protection level.

Study design: The study was of Descriptive type with simple random sampling.

Place and Duration of study: Microbiology Laboratory of FPGMI, ShaikhZayed Hospital, Lahore. The duration of the study was two years from 1st Feb 2018 to 31st January 2020.

Material and Methods: 384 individuals participated in this study. All the students were adult. They posed questions to get basic details from respondents. Students with serious psychiatric condition were not included in the report. ELISA kits were used to assess the antibody titres of the samples.

Results: Out of 384 samples, 290 (75.5%) were vaccinated in which 16 (5.5%) were protected, 245 (84.4%) were in grey zone while 29 (10%) were non-protected. In remaining 94 (24.5%) non vaccinated students 10 (10.6%) were protected, 80 (85.1%) were in grey zone while 4 (4.3%) were non-protected.

Conclusions: This study concluded that the protective titres are same in both vaccinated and non-vaccinated students showing a low immunity level either due to waning immunity in case of vaccinated students and failed vaccination campaign in non-vaccinated students.

Key words: Poliomyelitis, protective titers, infantile paralysis, OPV. IPV