title: Hepatitis B vaccine: low postvaccination immunity in hospital personnel given gluteal injections.
abstract: Although other investigators have found excellent response rates to the hepatitis B vaccine, we report here an unusually low rate of seroconversion following hepatitis B vaccination in a group of apparently healthy medical center personnel. Only 67% of these individuals developed adequate postvaccination antibodies to HBsAg, in contrast to 85 to 96% in other studies. A significant decrease in seroconversion with increasing age was noted with a 54% seroconversion rate in vaccines over the age of 40; all of whom had received gluteal injections. Employees at another facility had been given deltoid injections from the same vaccine lot and had an overall seroconversion rate of 90%. Subsequently, nonresponders from the first group were revaccinated. Seven of the ten individuals tested developed anti-HBs. We believe the relatively low rate of seroconversion in individuals above the age of 40 may have been related to gluteal injection of the hepatitis B vaccine, and further investigation is warranted.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Herbert
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Gitnick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002081:Buttocks; D005260:Female; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013997:Time Factors; D014611:Vaccination; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines