Intradermal, low dose, short course hepatitis B vaccination.

Seventy-five of 88 (85.2%) vaccinees seroconverted at three months after three 2 micrograms doses of a plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine had been given intradermally one month apart. Vaccinees under 30 years of age had a significantly better seroconversion rate (88.8%) than older subjects (50%) as measured at three months. Forty-three of 47 (91%) vaccinees who were bled one year post vaccination had antibody levels in excess of 10 IU/1. This study indicates that short course, low dose, intradermal vaccination with plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine may be a viable and cheap regimen for inducing immunity against hepatitis B in younger subjects.