Tuesday, 18th of November 2008 |
This study by Bialek and colleagues indicates, like other studies of even longer follow-up duration, that vaccination with 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine gives excellent long-term protection against chronic HBV infection (none of the study participants developed chronic HBV infection). Readers should note that there are no reliable markers for cellular immunity that can be used to study the long-term protection of hepatitis B vaccine. The use of measures of humoral immunity (e.g. anti-HBs) provide an incomplete view of the total protection given by hepatitis B vaccine. This study, like others, indicates that humoral immunity may wane over time, however, this does not mean that protection has disappeared and is only one factor for consideration in the role of a booster dose. The WHO SAGE has constituted a Hepatitis Working Group that is reviewing the scientific knowledge on long-term protection. In the recently concluded November 2008 SAGE meeting, the Working Group stated that current evidence supports over 20 years of HBV infection protection following full immunization with plasma derived vaccines in a variety of schedules. The Working Group also noted that it is aware of new data from long term cohort studies, to be published soon, which they will review prior to the April 2009 SAGE meeting.
Regards,
Steven
Steven Wiersma, MD, MPH
Medical Officer, Hepatitis Prevention
Immunization, Vaccines & Biologicals, Expanded Programme on Immunization
World Health Organization
Geneva, Switzerland
tel. +41-22-791-1511
mobile: +41-79-500-6581
email: wiersmas@who.int
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