title: Efficacy of minimal doses of an American hepatitis B vaccine in neonates.
abstract: Eight neonates and three young children at risk for hepatitis B infection were vaccinated with minimal doses of inactivated hepatitis B vaccine. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of low doses with a view toward reducing the cost of immunization and therefore extending the practice to a larger number of subjects and minimizing the incidence of adverse reactions to the vaccine. The patients received two intramuscular injections (0.1 ml) of vaccine at a two-month interval and a booster six months after the first dose. Anti-HBs titers were determined simultaneously by radioimmunoassay on all serum samples collected. Five of the 11 patients achieved presumably protective (greater than 10 mU/ml) antibody levels within six months after the first dose (titers between 10 and 74 mU/ml), and all but one patient achieved titers between 27 and 2,500 mU/ml within two months after the booster. No adverse reaction was observed.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scaravelli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Biraghi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Calligari
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lucchesi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Leo
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014611:Vaccination; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines