REACTIONS TO HEPATITIS-B VACCINES IN CHIL DREN - RESULTS OF A STUDY OF 4 CASES

Hepatitis B (HBV) vaccines seldom induce adverse reactions suggestive of immediate-type hypersensitivity (HS), such as anaphylaxis, urticari a and/or asthma. Therefore, we assessed 4 children with histories of a dverse reactions to HBV vaccines, such as accelerated urticarias (3 ca ses) and asthma (1 case); one of them reported also recurrent idiopath ic urticaria. Immediate-reading skin tests (prick-tests and ID) perfor med with vaccines were constantly negative. Also, RAST-formaldehyde pe rformed in 2 children were negative. Booster immunizations were well t olerated in 3 children; however, booster injection of HBV vaccine indu ced a generalized urticaria in the child reporting recurrent idiopathi c urticaria. Our results strongly suggest that most reactions induced by HBV vaccines are not related to an underlying HS to components of t he vaccines.