OBJECTIVE

To determine the persistence of immune protection of China-made, plasma-derived HBV vaccine in infants and the time table of booster immunization.

METHODS

Serological effect of 7-year follow-up study and antibody response of an experimental study on booster were detected using radioimmunoassay.

RESULTS

The protective anti-HBs positive rates of 1,018 children, who were vaccinated according to the regimen of three doses of 10 micrograms HBV vaccine, declined from 75.0% during the first two years to 48.2% at 7 years after the first dosages, however, the positive rates for HBsAg and anti-HBc always fluctuated at low frequency. 144 children aged 6 or 7 years old, who received the HBV vaccine in their infancy and were negative for both HBsAg and anti-HBc before booster, were selected from 1,018 children of the follow-up study and boosted with 1 microgram (intradermally) or 2 micrograms (hypodemically) HBV vaccine. Their anti-HBs GMT and anti-HBs positive rate were 190.6 mIU/ml and 89.6% at one month after booster, significantly higher than 14.7 mIU/ml and 54.9% before booster (P < 0.01), and declined back to 25.3 mIU/ml and 75.5% at 12th month; among 65 children with the anti-HBs negative before booster, 40 of them had the level of anti-HBs > or = 100 mIU/ml one month after booster, suggesting the retention of immunological memory in most of them.

CONCLUSIONS

No need for revaccination against hepatitis B at 7th year after the initial immunization due to better persistence of immune protection of the vaccine.