THE PERSISTENCE OF ANTI-HEPATITIS-B SURFACE ANTIBODIES TO 3 YEARS OF AGE - IS A HEPATITIS-B VACCINE BOOSTER REQUIRED

Citation
Tr. Gunn et Dg. Woodfield, THE PERSISTENCE OF ANTI-HEPATITIS-B SURFACE ANTIBODIES TO 3 YEARS OF AGE - IS A HEPATITIS-B VACCINE BOOSTER REQUIRED, New Zealand medical journal, 106(968), 1993, pp. 499-501
Citations number
18
Categorie Soggetti
Medicine, General & Internal
Journal title
ISSN journal
00288446
Volume
106
Issue
968
Year of publication
1993
Pages
499 - 501
Database
ISI
SICI code
0028-8446(1993)106:968<499:TPOASA>2.0.ZU;2-4
Abstract
(A)ims. To evaluate the persistence of hepatitis B surface antibodies (anti-HBs) after immunisation in early infancy. Methods. The infants w ere born to low risk European mothers negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). All the children had received 3 doses of 20 mu g of recombinant DNA hepatitis B vaccine. Results. One month after the thir d dose all 92 infants were seropositive. The GMT was 1190 mIU/mL and a ll but one infant had seroprotective titres above 10 mIU/mL. Three yea rs after the vaccination 91% (59 of 65) children who returned for test ing still had measurable anti-HBs titres. The GMT was 32 mIU/mL but 26 % (17 of 65) had titres less than 10 mIU/ml. Only one child had serolo gic evidence of contact with the hepatitis B virus but did not develop the disease. Conclusion. This vaccine is safe and effective for at le ast 3 years. The long term duration of protection from vaccination in early infancy requires further studies.