Response to hepatitis-B vaccination in healthy homosexual individuals: retrospective case control study.
The aim of the study was to compare the responses of homosexual men (HM) receiving a standard course of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine with those of healthcare workers vaccinated in the same hospital over the same period. Boosters for inadequate responders and repeat courses for non-responders were given. Forty of 61 (75.4%) of HM completing full follow-up were successfully vaccinated, compared with 128 of 129 (99.2%) female and 94 of 96 (97.9%) male health care workers (P<0.001). The response to hepatitis-B vaccination in healthy homosexual men is poor and significantly lower than healthcare workers vaccinated and followed up according to the same protocol.
Das
Satyajit
S
Department of Genito-Urinary and HIV Medicine, Whittall Street Clinic, Whittall Street, Birmingham B4 6DH, UK. sat.das@ntlworld.com
Brassington
Mary
M
Drake
Susan M
SM
Boxall
Elizabeth
E
D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006282:Health Personnel; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014611:Vaccination; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic