Clinical experience with an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine.

Clinical trials of an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine have encompassed 104 studies completed by December 1993 in 27 countries. Studies involved 50,677 subjects and administration of > 120,000 vaccine doses. Results show that the vaccine is safe, clinically well-tolerated, and highly immunogenic in all age groups. A seroconversion rate of 100% is achieved 1 month after primary vaccination. Vaccine-induced antibody titers persist after a primary vaccination course for > or = 1 year with a single dose of 1440 ELISA units (EL.U.) in adults and after two doses of 360 EL.U. in children. A booster dose 6-12 months after the first vaccine dose induces very high antibody titers, which according to a mathematical model, are expected to protect against hepatitis A for > 20 years. The vaccine is equally immunogenic when administered simultaneously with other traveler vaccines, therefore enabling flexible and convenient vaccination against hepatitis A.