title: Hepatitis B vaccine--what to expect.
abstract: Following up the pioneering work of Dr. Saul Krugman of New York University School of Medicine, scientists have spent more than 10 years developing a hepatitis B vaccine. Vaccine consists of purified, inactivated, noninfectious surface protein of hepatitis B virus; it is derived from particles of incomplete virus surface protein extracted from plasma collected from human carriers of hepatitis B virus. Observations in more than 13,000 human vaccinees indicate that the vaccine is highly effective and extremely safe. The recommended three-dose vaccination regimen produces protective antibody in the large majority of persons 3 months of age and older. Available data suggest that immunity will last for at least 5 years in persons who have received all three vaccine doses. Supplied as a liquid and administered intramuscularly, the vaccine is generally well tolerated, with no serious adverse reactions attributable to the vaccine yet reported. The vaccine is quite stable; when stored at refrigerator temperature, it remains potent for 3 years. However, the vaccine should never be frozen, since freezing destroys potency.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014765:Viral Vaccines