Are we giving too many doses of hepatitis A and B vaccines?

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 20; no. 16; pp. 2017 - 2018
• Main Author: Iwarson, Sten
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 15.05.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hepatitis A Vaccines - administration & dosage; Hepatitis A Vaccines - immunology; Hepatitis B Vaccines - administration & dosage; Hepatitis B Vaccines - immunology; Humans; Immunization, Secondary; Immunologic Memory; Lymphocyte Activation; Microbiology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Vaccines, Inactivated - immunology; Virology; Immunoprotection; Immunological memory; Hepatitis A virus; Picornaviridae; Orthohepadnavirus; Hepatic disease; Vaccine; Long term; Hepatovirus; Infection; Virus; Viral hepatitis B; Viral hepatitis A; Hepadnaviridae; Viral disease; Digestive diseases; Hepatitis B virus
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/S0264-410X(02)00050-6

The immune response of an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine given to middle aged travellers 4–6 years after one single, primary dose was recently studied. All 25 vaccinees showed an impressive anamnestic booster response (GMT 2.993 mIU/ml). The study confirms one previous report as well as experimental data, indicating a long-term proliferative T-cell response following one single primary dose of Havrix 1440. In 1999, Wiström et al. demonstrated that a booster 4 years after priming medical students with one single dose of a recombinant HB vaccine disclosed a rapid antibody response indicating a well-preserved memory. These reports put in focus the question: are we routinely offering too many doses of hepatitis A and B vaccines?