Long term hepatitis B vaccine in infants born to hepatitis B e antigen positive mothers
- aViral Hepatitis Research Unit Chulalongkorn University Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, bDepartment of Paediatrics, cSmithKline Beecham Biologicals, Rixensart, Belgium
- Dr Y Poovorawan, Viral Hepatitis Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
- Accepted 20 February 1997
Abstract
Neonates of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive and hepatitis B encoded antigen (HBeAg) positive mothers received 10 μg of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine at months 0, 1, 6, or 0, 1, 2, 12, with or without immunoglobulin at birth, and were followed up to the age of 8 years for HBsAg, anti-HBc, and anti-HBs. Some were boosted at month 60. The overall vaccine protection at month 12 was 96.2%. No child became a chronic carrier beyond the age of 3 years, showing that this vaccine provides immediate protection against HBsAg carriage, and long term protection against fetally acquired HBsAg. After month 60 hepatitis B serological markers without disease, indicating re-exposure to HBV, reappeared in comparable numbers among boosted and non-boosted children (5 for a total of 167 children).
This vaccine provides long term protection against hepatitis B chronic carriage and infection in high risk neonates with or without a month 60 booster. A booster at the age of 5-6 years or 11–12 years would reduce HBV infection, viral circulation and transmission, while ensuring long term antibody persistence.
