Preadolescent non- and hyporesponders following three doses of hepatitis B vaccine need only one more dose.
A small proportion of healthy children fail to develop antibodies against hepatitis B after three doses of vaccine. Few data are available regarding the optimal re-immunization strategy. We measured the immune response 1 month after a single supplementary dose of recombinant hepatitis B vaccines in 18 young preadolescents who were non- or hyporesponsive after a regular primary course of three doses of recombinant hepatitis B vaccines. Among them, 100% seroconverted and 89% reached the seroprotective titer of 10 milli-International Units (mIU)/ml. Most healthy children, particularly if they are hyporesponders, will have reached the seroprotective level after one dose and will not need further injections.
Duval
Bernard
B
Institut National de Santé Publiqùe du Québec, 2400 rue d'Estimauville, Qué, G1E 7G9, Beauport, Canada. bernard.duval@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Boulianne
Nicole
N
De Serres
Gaston
G
De Wals
Philippe
P
Massé
Richard
R
Trudeau
Gisèle
G
D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000379:methods; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007117:Immunization, Secondary / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic