title: Efficacy of hepatitis B vaccine in the Gambian expanded programme on immunisation.
abstract: Because of the high prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in The Gambia, HBV vaccination has been incorporated into the national expanded programme on immunisation. We have assessed the efficacy of the vaccine against HBV infection and chronic carriage by examining 720 3-4-year-old children who had received the vaccine in infancy and 816 who had not received it. The vaccine was 84% (95% CI 78-89%) effective against infection and 94% (84-98%) effective against chronic carriage. Vaccinated infants of mothers positive for hepatitis B surface and e antigens were at greater risk of breakthrough infection and chronic carriage than infants of uninfected mothers. The high vaccine efficacy against the HBV carrier state, the main risk factor for the development of chronic liver disease and liver cancer, offers hope that the prevalence of these diseases may be reduced in the future.
authors.affiliation: International Agency for Research on Cancer, The Gambia Hepatitis Intervention Study, Banjul.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fortuin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chotard
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Jack
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Maine
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mendy
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Inskip
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Whittle
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000517:prevention & control; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005714:Gambia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines