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Criteria for Successful Hepatitis B Vaccination in Adults: Results of a Case Study

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Abstract

Background:

Active immunization is the most important measure for controlling hepatitis B (HB) virus infection. The outcome of HB vaccination has been investigated in only a very small number of cohort studies, some of which found a number of cases of HBV infection.

Material and Methods:

Using a design different from that of earlier studies, we have investigated the occurrence of HBV infection and clinical HB disease in individuals who had a complete HB vaccination series. Reported cases of HB/HBV infections among 1235 German health care workers (HCW) were analyzed with special regard to the question of whether or not HB vaccination had taken place in the past.

Results:

23 persons had undergone a complete vaccination series with complete documentation: 18 were non-responders (post-vaccination anti-HBs < 10 IU/l), one was a low-responder (anti-HBs < 100 IU/l), and four were responders (100 IU/l).While all responders seroconvertedwithout clinical sign of hepatitis, ten non-/low-responders contracted chronic HB/HBV infection and seven contracted self-limiting HB.

Conclusion:

Vaccination should be only regarded as “successful”, if the post-vaccination anti-HBs concentration is at least 100 IU/l.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chair for Physiology Occupational Medicine and Prevention of Infectious diseases, University of Wuppertal, Gauss Str. 20, 42349, Wuppertal, Germany

    F. Hofmann & N. Kralj

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  1. F. Hofmann
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  2. N. Kralj
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Correspondence to N. Kralj.

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Hofmann, F., Kralj, N. Criteria for Successful Hepatitis B Vaccination in Adults: Results of a Case Study. Infection 37, 266–269 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-008-7410-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-008-7410-y

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