Immunogenicity of an inactivated hepatitis A pediatric vaccine: three-year post-booster follow-up

The persistence of anti-hepatitis A virus antibody concentrations was followed over 3 years in 177 healthy children following primary and booster vaccination with an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine, Avaxim 80 pediatric. Seroconversion rates (post-immunization anti-HAV antibody concentration >or=20 mIU/mL) and geometric mean concentrations (GMC) were estimated for each of three age groups: 18 month--3 years, 4--8 years, and 9--15 years. Only subjects who were initially HAV-seronegative at inclusion (<20 mIU/mL) were analyzed. Follow-up visits at years 1, 2, and 3 involved 177, 149, and 135 children, respectively. A decline in GMCs of about 74% occurred during the first year, from 3,060 to 814 mIU/mL overall, but did not continue during years 2 and 3. All subjects remained seropositive (antibody concentration >or=20 mIU/mL), with overall GMCs of 814, 891, and 924 mIU/mL in years 1--3, respectively. The inactivated hepatitis A study-vaccine resulted in sustained seroprotective antibody concentrations in 100% of these children, without a significant decline in antibiotic concentrations over the 3 years following booster injection, thus demonstrating the long-term protection expected with this vaccine.