Efficacy of hepatitis B vaccine in a cohortcommunity-based study in Riyadh and Hail regions of Saudi Arabia.
BACKGROUND
Saudi Arabia used to be hyperendemic for HBV infection. Most of infection occurs in early life. HBV vaccine was, therefore, introduced in 1989 as the seventh primary immunogen of the EPI Program. This study is conducted to evaluate the efficacy of this program in Riyadh and Hail Regions.


METHODS
A cohort follow-up study of children from Riyadh and Hail, who had been vaccinated in 1989, evaluated in 1991 and tested for HBV markers six years later.


RESULTS
The files of 303 children from Riyadh and Hail, who were investigated in 1991 retrieved and only 119, were available for testing. Fifty percent of the children have still a protective anti-HBs tittre. One vaccinated child was found to be positive for HBsAg. According to this study, the efficacy rate against HBsAg carriage is 88%.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates the tremendous effect of HB vaccine on the HBV infection of Saudi children in these two regions.
Al-Faleh
Faleh Zaid
FZ
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. falfaleh@ksu.edu.sa
Al-Jeffri
Mohammed H
MH
Al-Rashed
Rashed S
RS
Aref
Mohammed
M