Differences in Response to a Hepatitis B Vaccine Booster Dose Among Alaskan Children and Adolescents Vaccinated During Infancy - A Summary

This blog is a summary of the article “Differences in Response to a Hepatitis B Vaccine Booster Dose Among Alaskan Children and Adolescents Vaccinated During Infancy, ” by Samandari et. al. (2007).

 

Since the duration of protection against the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), achieved by the both the HBV plasma vaccine, and the HBV recombinant DNA vaccine is unknown, Samandari et. al. (2007), conducted a study evaluating the  presence of  HBV immune memory in children in adolescents in Alaska. Immune memory can be indirectly determined through measuring the immune response to a vaccine booster dose.

 

Samandare et. al. (2007) measured 74 adolescents (aged 11.7 years – 14.9 years old) who had received the 3-dose plasma vaccine, 138 adolescents (aged 10.0 years - 14.7 years) and 166 children (aged 5.0 years -7.0 years) who had received the 3-dose recombinant DNA vaccine. All participants had been born to HBV surface-antigen negative mothers, and had received the starter dose of the HBV vaccine in the first 7 days of life.

 

Serologic immunity to the HBV virus is defined as a measure of antibody to HBV surface antigen of ³10mIU/mL. Of the children and adolescents who participated in this study, none had acquired chronic active cases of HBV. Upon receiving the booster dose of the HBV vaccine, 99% of the children and 83% of the adolescents who received the recombinant DNA vaccine had an anamnestic response to the booster dose. Comparatively, only 69% of the adolescents who received the plasma vaccine had an anamnestic response to the booster dose.

 

These results show that:

1.     The recombinant DNA vaccine may have a longer lasting immunological effect in protecting against HBV.

2.     There appears to be a relationship between increasing age and decreasing HBV vaccine protection.

 

This study indicates that it is necessary for individuals vaccinated as neonates to get an HBV booster during late childhood or early adolescence in order to prolong immunologic protection against this virus. (Samandari 2007)

 

References Cited

 

Samandari, Taraz., Anthony E Fiore., Susan Negus., James L. Williams., Wendi Kuhnert., Brian J. McMahon., Beth P. Pell

            2007   Differences in Response to a Hepatitis B Vaccine Booster Dose Among Alaskan Children and Adloescents Vaccinated During Infancy. Pediatrics 120:e373-e381.