title: The persistence of anti-hepatitis B surface antibodies to three years of age: is a hepatitis B vaccine booster required?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the persistence of hepatitis B surface antibodies (anti-HBs) after immunisation in early infancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The infants were born to low risk European mothers negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). All the children had received 3 doses of 20 micrograms of recombinant DNA hepatitis B vaccine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One month after the third dose all 92 infants were seropositive. The GMT was 1190 mIU/mL and all but one infant had seroprotective titres above 10 mIU/mL. Three years after the vaccination 91% (59 of 65) children who returned for testing still had measurable anti-HBs titres. The GMT was 32 mIU/mL but 26% (17 of 65) had titres less than 10 mIU/ml. Only one child had serologic evidence of contact with the hepatitis B virus but did not develop the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This vaccine is safe and effective for at least 3 years. The long term duration of protection from vaccination in early infancy requires further studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, National Women's Hospital, Auckland.
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Gunn
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Woodfield
mesh_terms: D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009520:New Zealand; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C075654:Engerix-B; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic