Are we giving too many doses of hepatitis A and B vaccines?
The immune response of an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine given to middle aged travellers 4-6 years after one single, primary dose was recently studied. All 25 vaccinees showed an impressive anamnestic booster response (GMT 2.993mIU/ml). The study confirms one previous report as well as experimental data, indicating a long-term proliferative T-cell response following one single primary dose of Havrix 1440. In 1999, Wiström et al. demonstrated that a booster 4 years after priming medical students with one single dose of a recombinant HB vaccine disclosed a rapid antibody response indicating a well-preserved memory. These reports put in focus the question: are we routinely offering too many doses of hepatitis A and B vaccines?
Iwarson
Sten
S
Department of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Ostra, SE-416 85 Gothenburg, Sweden. sten.iwarson@infect.gu.se
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000276:immunology
D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated