[Long-term efficacy study of hepatitis B vaccination in newborns--results of 11 years' follow-up].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the long-term efficacy of hepatitis B(HB) vaccination in newborns and the need for a booster dose. This research is one of the longest HB vaccine follow-up studies in the world with its subjects came from a program of universal infant HB vaccination.


METHODS
Children who were born in 1986 and immunized with hepatitis B vaccine at birth were followed up at least once a year. Serum HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HBs were tested. At the 5th year after the first dose the prevalence of hepatitis B infection in the children in other district who were also born in 1986 and remained unvaccinated was surveyed as external controls. Random sampling was applied and the possible bias was analyzed. The trends of the positive rates of serum HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc in the immunized cohort were studied. With external control, the long-term efficacy of HB vaccination was calculated.


RESULTS
The positive rates of HBsAg in the vaccine group from the first to eleventh year were 0.46%-0.98% and were below than those of baseline and external control. HBsAg rates in the cohort at different ages were similar with an average of 0.70%(25/3 578). The long-term efficacy of newborn vaccination was 85.42% (95% confidant interval: 70.11%-100%).


CONCLUSIONS
The efficacy of HB vaccine was long-lasting and a booster dose was not necessary at least up to age 11 years.
Lin
X
X
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanghai Medical University.
Xu
Z
Z
Ou-Yang
P
P
D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D014611:Vaccination
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines