The immune response of healthy nigerian adults to small doses of hepatitis B vaccine: Comparison of 10- and 20-μg doses

✍ Scribed by E. A. Ayoola

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 174 KB
• Volume: 13
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.1890130304

✦ Synopsis

The immunogenic effect of hepatitis B vaccine (H-B-vax) was evaluated in 120 seronegative healthy Nigerians. Three doses of the vaccine were given at 0, 1, and 6 months. Serial blood samples were tested I month after each vaccination for hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). Of 60 vaccines given 20 pg of the vaccine, 40% had significant anti-HBs response 1 month after the first dose, 70% after the second dose, and 91.7% after the third dose. In the 60 vaccines given 10-pg doses, the serwonversion rates were 35, 73.3, and 90%, respectively. It is concluded that this vaccine in IO-pg doses is as effective as the larger doses in producing anti-HBs. The administration of small doses would reduce the cost of large-scale vaccination programs in developing countries.