Jl. Excler et al., IMMUNOGENICITY OF THE HEPATITIS-B VACCINE , GENHEVAC-B, GIVEN IN 3 INJECTIONS (0, 1, 6 MONTHS) TO YOUNG SCHOOL-AGE TEENAGERS, Medecine et maladies infectieuses, 25(6-7), 1995, pp. 835-838
Teenagers represent a high risk population to get hepatitis B infectio
n by sexual or intravenous (TV drug use) transmission. Therefore, the
vaccination of young teenagers, prior their exposition period, has eme
rged as a priority strategy to eradicate hepatitis B. Hundred and eigh
ty three school boys (104) and girls (79), (mean age : 13.5 years) hav
e received two injections of a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, GenHev
ac B, at a 4-week interval followed by a booster injection six months
after initiation. One month post third injection, almost all. subjects
(99.5 %) had developed protective levels of anti-HBs (greater than or
equal to 10 mIU/ml, geometric mean titres of 20 000 mIU/ml) and of an
ti-pre-S2 (greater than or equal to 30 mU/ml, geometric mean titres of
4 978 mU/ml) antibodies with no significant difference between sex. T
his three-dose immunization schedule can be easily completed during th
e school year. The very high anti-HBs antibody titres elicited suggest
that a long lasting protection can be conferred. A booster injection
could be postponed 10 years after primovaccination.