title: Hepatitis B vaccine in infants from an endemic area: long-term anti-HBs persistence and revaccination.
abstract: Persistence of anti-HBs in 156 Senegalese infants immunized with hepatitis B vaccine was studied for periods ranging from 2 to 6 years after booster dose administration. Six years after the booster dose, 90.4% of the infants had detectable anti-HBs antibodies, with 78.1% having titers higher than 10 mIU/ml. The geometric mean titer was 60 mIU/ml. Females showed higher anti-HBs values than males. In a group of 11 infants who received no booster dose, anti-HBs antibodies were detectable 7 years after the first dose. However, the geometric mean titer was lower (26 mIU/ml). Revaccination (56 infants) led to an increase of the geometric mean titer to 469 mIU/ml 2 months later. These results show that a booster injection every 5-6 years should provide adequate protective anti-HBs levels in infants.
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral