High immunogenicity of delayed third dose of hepatitis B vaccine in travellers

Yves Jackson1, François Chappuis, Nathalie Mezger

  • 1Travel and Migration Medicine Unit, Geneva University Hospitals, rue Micheli-du-Crest 24, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland. yves.jackson@hcuge.ch

Vaccine
|February 20, 2007
PubMed

Travellers often present late for the third dose of hepatitis B vaccination and measuring anti-HBs serology is common practice to ensure that these individuals are protected. We assessed the adequacy of immune response in 86 healthy travellers who had their third dose of hepatitis B (HB) vaccine performed more than 1 year (median: 3.4 years; range: 1.1-10.5 years) after the second dose. Eighty-two travellers (95.3%) had evidence of sero-protection (anti-HBs titre >10 UI/L) including 16/17 (94.1%) travellers who had an interval of more than 5 years between second and third vaccine dose. We did not find any risk factor associated with insufficient response.

Related Concept Videos

Vaccinations01:51

Vaccinations

Overview
Hepatitis01:25

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver most commonly caused by hepatotropic viruses (A–E), though non-infectious causes such as alcohol and drugs also exist.Hepatitis AHepatitis A virus (HAV) is a non-enveloped RNA virus of the Picornaviridae family. It is primarily transmitted via the fecal-oral route, typically through ingestion of contaminated food or water. After ingestion, HAV enters the bloodstream through the oropharynx or intestinal epithelium and reaches the liver. The...
Cross-reactivity00:42

Cross-reactivity

Overview
Vaccines01:21

Vaccines

Vaccines are among the most effective tools in preventive medicine, designed to prepare the immune system to recognize and combat infectious agents. By introducing antigens—substances that the immune system identifies as foreign—vaccines stimulate an adaptive immune response that leads to immunological memory. This immunological memory enables the body to mount a faster and more effective response upon future exposures to the actual pathogen.Vaccines can be categorized based on the type of...
Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction01:28

Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction

Viral hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver caused by infection with hepatotropic viruses, most commonly hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Despite variations in structure and transmission, all viruses mentioned infect hepatocytes and provoke immune responses that can hinder liver function. Additionally, some non-hepatotropic viruses can also lead to hepatic inflammation.Hepatitis A VirusHepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted through the fecal–oral route, typically by ingestion of food...
Immunological Memory01:23

Immunological Memory

Immunological memory, a pivotal pillar of the adaptive immune system, is responsible for the body's ability to remember and respond more swiftly and effectively to previously encountered pathogens. This remarkable feature is what makes vaccines so effective in preventing diseases.
What is Immunological Memory?
Immunological memory is an integral function of the immune system that allows it to recognize and react more rapidly and effectively to pathogens previously encountered. This feature is...