title: Hepatitis B vaccine -- do we need boosters?
abstract: This review analyses the cumulated data from a number of long-term follow-up studies among infants, children and adults vaccinated against hepatitis B in industrialised and developing countries. Despite low or undetectable antibody responses years after vaccination, the development of HBsAg was a rarity and, if present, only transient. Some vaccinees developed anti-HBc responses but none developed an HB carrier state or clinical manifestations of disease. Studies demonstrating anamnestic responses among those with low or undetectable anti-HBs levels following challenge with HB vaccine, together with the production of anti-HBs in circulating B-cells by spot ELISA, confirmed the presence of immune memory among vaccinees. Anamnestic anti-HBs responses all correlate close in kinetics and magnitude with proliferative T-cell responses. The accumulated data from studies assessed in this Review indicate that protection is dependent on immune memory, rather than declining anti-HBs responses and add additional weight to the European Consensus recommendations (12) that following a complete course of vaccination, booster doses are unnecessary in immunocompetent persons. If implemented, this recommendation will have considerable cost benefits world-wide.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Virology, Guys Kings and St Thomas' School of Medicine and Dentistry, Clinical Virology, London, UK. jangu@church-end-henham.co.uk
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Banatvala
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Damme
mesh_terms: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines