Early anti-HBs antibody response to accelerated and to conventional hepatitis B vaccination regimens in healthy persons.

A significantly higher prevalence of a protective concentration of anti-HBs was achieved at 1 and 2 months among 132 healthy medical students who received an accelerated vaccination schedule with a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (Engerix-B) than among 120 medical students who received a conventional regimen. With the accelerated schedule, however, 60% students at 1 month and 27% at 2 months were still unprotected (anti-HBs titre less than 10.0 IU/l). Additional passive immunisation should therefore continue to be offered if the accelerated schedule is adopted for post-exposure prophylaxis.