title: A non-randomized vaccine effectiveness trial of accelerated infant hepatitis B immunization schedules with a first dose at birth or age 6 weeks in Côte d'Ivoire.
abstract: Most African countries do not initiate hepatitis B vaccination at birth. We conducted a non-randomized controlled trial comparing hepatitis B vaccination given at age 0, 6, and 14 weeks versus the current Côte d'Ivoire schedule of 6, 10, and 14 weeks. Pregnant women were enrolled at four health centers in Abidjan. At age 9 months, 0.5% of infants in both the birth and 6-week cohorts were positive for HBsAg and all were born to HBeAg-positive women. Among infants of HBeAg-positive mothers, 9 of 24 (37.5%) in the birth cohort and 10 of 17 (58.8%) in the 6-week cohort were HBsAg positive (adjusted OR, 2.7; 95% CI: 0.7-11.0). While both vaccine schedules prevented most cases of infant HBV transmission, both also had high failure rates among infants of HBeAg-positive mothers. African infants may benefit from a birth dose but additional studies are needed to verify this hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Institut National d'Hygiène Publique (INHP), Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ekra
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Herbinger
authors.forename: Seydou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Konate
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leblond
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fretz
authors.forename: Vannina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cilote
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Douai
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.forename: Bradford D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Gessner
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chauvin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines