ANTI-HBV NEONATAL IMMUNIZATION WITH RECOMBINANT VACCINE .1. CRITICAL-APPRAISAL FOR A LONG-LIVED ANTIBODY COURSE

This study involved 912 infants born to HBsAg-negative mothers from 1 May 1991 to 30 June 1992. The subjects were randomly allocated to an a ccelerated (Group A) ol traditional (Group B) immunization schedule an d immunized with 10 mu g of recombinant HBV vaccine. At the end of the vaccinal cycle 98.14% of both groups were protected against HBV with a high percentage of high responders (88.1% group B and 68% group A).F ollowing a random plan, 345 of the initial 912 infants (144 group A an d 201 group B) were serologically evaluated 15-18 months after the boo ster dose, to identify the level of long-lasting specific antibody. Th e data obtained allowed us to identify the non-responder subjects afte r the seroconversion, to propose the evaluation of antibody titre afte r the booster dose of vaccine and because one year after the booster d ose 5.6% of the subjects responsive at seroconversion have shown undet ectable anti-HBsAg titre, to propose the elevation of the antibody lev el considered as protective at the end of the vaccinal cycle.