Persistence of anti-HBs among health care personnel immunized with hepatitis B vaccine.
Health care personnel who received the hepatitis B vaccine (Heptavax-BR, MSD) were followed for persistence of hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs). Response occurred in 135/146 (92.5 percent) vaccinees. Loss of anti-HBs (less than 72 RIA units; 10 S/N) occurred in 35.9 percent during the 36-month surveillance. Stepwise discriminant analysis found age and magnitude of initial antibody level, but not weight-height index, to be predictive of antibody loss over the 36 months. Twenty-four of 27 employees (88.9 percent) who lost anti-HBs responded to a fourth vaccine dose. In contrast, three of eight initial non-responders (37.5 percent) developed antibody after a fourth vaccine dose.
Pasko
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Infectious Diseases Section, Buffalo VA Medical Center, NY 14215.
Beam
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D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D006280:Health Workforce; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014611:Vaccination; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines