The effect of concurrent use of hepatitis B and Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination on anti-hepatitis B response.
OBJECTIVE
Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is given at 2-months of age; diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid, whole cell pertussis, oral polio are given at 2, 3, 4 months, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine is given at 3, 4, 9 months of age. The aim was to evaluate the sero-protection rate of HBV vaccine which has been given at 2, 3, and 9 months of age and coincided with BCG vaccine at the first dose.


METHODS
Hepatitis B virus vaccine was administered to 3 groups of infants at 2, 3, 9 months (n=20), 3, 4, 9 months (n=20) concurrently with BCG or other vaccines, and at 0, 1, 6 months with no other coinciding another vaccine (n=20). These 60 infants who were born between June 2001 and September 2001 have been vaccinated at the Akdeniz University School of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey. Antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
The simultaneous administration of BCG and HBV vaccines did not influence the immune response to HBV vaccine. We showed that all 3 schedules can induce the sero-protective levels of antibody concentrations to HBV both one month and one year after the vaccination.


CONCLUSIONS
Bacille Calmette-Guerin and HBV vaccinations can be performed at the same time in endemic countries.
Artan
Reha
R
Department of Pediatrics, Akdeniz Universitesi, Tip Fakultesi, Cocuk Sagligi ve Hastaliklari Anabilim Dali, 07070, Antalya, Turkey. artan@akdeniz.edu.tr
Erol
Meltem
M
Velipasaoglu
Sevtap
S
Yegin
Olcay
O
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D014421:Turkey; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D001500:BCG Vaccine; C484909:Euvax-B; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic