Effectiveness of hepatitis B vaccination in babies born to hepatitis B surface antigen - Positive mothers in Italy

This study examined 522 children born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg )-positive mothers from 1985 through 1994 and evaluated the protection prov ided by anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) immunization at birth. Babies were giv en hepatitis B immunoglobulin and hepatitis B vaccine at birth. At 5-14 yea rs after immunization, 17 children (3.3%) were and-HB core antigen positive , and 3 also were HBsAg positive. One carrier child had a double mutation, with substitution of proline-serine at codons 120 (P120S) and 127 (P127S) w ithin the a determinant of HBsAg. Of the 522 children, 400 (79.2%) of 505 s till had protective anti-HBsAg titers greater than or equal to 10 MIU/ mL. Thus, HBV vaccination of children born to HBsAg-positive mothers is effecti ve and confers long-term immunity. There is no evidence that the emergence of HBV escape mutants secondary to the immune pressure against wild-type HB V is of concern.