Long term antibody response to hepatitis B vaccination beginning at birth and to subsequent booster vaccination.
BACKGROUND
Few studies have examined the long term persistence of antibody after hepatitis B immunization beginning at birth and the response to a subsequent challenge with a booster dose of vaccine.


METHODS
Two groups of children received hepatitis B vaccine on a schedule of birth and 1 and 6 months of age. Group 1 received recombinant vaccine and a booster dose at 5 years of age. Group 2 received plasma-derived vaccine and a booster dose at 9 years of age. Group 1 children were tested for antibody after the primary vaccine series. All children were tested for antibody before administration of the booster dose and at 2 and 4 weeks and 1 year after the booster. In addition all children were tested for markers of hepatitis B virus infection.


RESULTS
Antibody testing conducted after the primary series for children in Group 1 (n = 70) showed that 90% had protective antibody concentrations at 13 months of age, and testing before the booster dose showed that 41% had protective antibody concentrations. All children with protective antibody concentrations after the primary series had an anamnestic antibody response to the booster dose. In Group 2 (n = 41) 39% of children had protective antibody concentrations before the booster dose, and 93% had an anamnestic antibody response to the booster dose. One year after the booster dose there were 26-fold and 11-fold declines in antibody concentration in Groups 1 and 2, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
A primary vaccination series with either plasma-derived or recombinant hepatitis B vaccine affords long term protection for children when vaccinated beginning soon after birth.
Williams
Ian T
IT
Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30030, USA. IWilliams@CDC.GOV
Goldstein
Susan T
ST
Tufa
Joseph
J
Tauillii
Sylvia
S
Margolis
Harold S
HS
Mahoney
Francis J
FJ
D018948:American Samoa; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines