Waning immunity and booster responses in nursing and medical technology students who had received plasma-derived or recombinant hepatitis B vaccine during infancy.
BACKGROUND
The national hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination program was launched in Taiwan in 1984. After November 1992, a recombinant HBV vaccine replaced the plasma-derived HBV vaccine.


METHODS
A total of 1,812 nursing and medical technology freshman students was tested to evaluate their waning immunity toward hepatitis B. In the 2007 (2008) academic year, 438 (382) students testing nonprotective antibodies received 3 (1) booster doses of HBV vaccine according to suggestions from Taiwan's Center for Disease Control (CDC).


RESULTS
The seroprevalences of hepatitis B surface antigen (+) were 0.8% and 0.7% in the plasma-derived and recombinant group, respectively; for antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) (+), they were 43.2% and 33.3% (P < .001), respectively. In the 2007 freshman group, 99.1% of the students previously vaccinated with plasma-derived HBV vaccine exhibited anti-HBs seroconversion. In the 2008 freshman group, the booster dose induced anti-HBs seroconversions of 92.1% and 95.9% in the students who had received the plasma-derived and recombinant HBV vaccine, respectively (P = .370).


CONCLUSIONS
Most students exhibited signs of immune memory after receiving the booster, regardless of having received plasma-derived or recombinant HBV. Only a small number of vaccinees lost their immune memory after 16 years, suggesting that some students might benefit from boosting before proceeding to clinical practice.
Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Fooyin University Hospital, Pingtung, Taiwan; Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Ching-Chiang
CC
Lin
Institute of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Chun-Yuh
CY
Yang
Department of Family Medicine, Fooyin University Hospital, Pingtung, Taiwan.
Ching-Tang
CT
Shih
School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Bai-Hsiun
BH
Chen
Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Center of Excellence for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Electronic address: yelihu@kmu.edu.tw.
Yeou-Lih
YL
Huang
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014611:Vaccination; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA