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[Experience with anti-viral hepatitis B vaccine at an institution for handicapped children]
Insights
The Hevac-B vaccine administered subcutaneously showed higher efficacy in preventing Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection compared to the HBVAX vaccine given intramuscularly. This highlights the importance of vaccine administration methods for HBV prevention in high-risk groups.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Immunology
- Vaccinology
Context:
- Study conducted at an institute for handicapped children, targeting high-risk populations for Hepatitis B virus (HBV) prevention.
- Assessed HBV marker status in both patients and employees, identifying susceptible individuals for vaccination.
- Integrated a comprehensive health education program emphasizing sanitary standards.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the efficacy of different Hepatitis B vaccines (Hevac-B and HBVAX) in a high-risk population.
- To compare the immunogenicity and serum conversion rates of Hevac-B administered subcutaneously versus HBVAX administered intramuscularly.
- To extend the reach of the anti-HBV vaccine to vulnerable categories.
Summary:
- Out of 50 patients and 66 employees, 24 and 51 respectively were negative for HBV markers and received vaccination.
- Hevac-B vaccine (subcutaneous) achieved a 97.6% serum conversion rate in 42 completers.
- HBVAX vaccine (intramuscular) showed a significantly lower serum conversion rate of 68% in 25 subjects (p < 0.001).
Impact:
- The study indicates Hevac-B's superior efficacy, likely due to subcutaneous administration, suggesting optimized vaccine delivery for HBV prevention.
- Demonstrates the feasibility of extending HBV vaccination to institutionalized children and healthcare workers.
- Emphasizes the critical role of administration technique in vaccine effectiveness and public health strategies for infectious disease control.
Abstract:
This study, conducted in an institute for handicapped children, is part of an overall effort to extend the anti-HBV vaccine to all high risk categories. Out of 50 patients, 24 (48%) registered negative results for all HBV markers. Twenty-three of these 24 (95.8%) were vaccinated with the Hevac-B Pasteur vaccine s.c. Of 66 employees tested, 51 resulted negative for all HBV markers (77.3%). Of these, 45 (88.2%) were vaccinated: 20 with Hevac-B vaccine s.c., 25 with HBVAX vaccine i.m. via intragluteal injection. Of the 42 who completed the study with Hevac-B, 41 showed an antibody response greater than or equal to 10 mUI (serum conversion of 97.6%). Of the 25 subjects vaccinated with HBVAX, 17 showed an immunological antibody response greater than or equal to 10 mUI (serum conversion of 68%) (p less than 0.001). This differing effectiveness is probably due to the method of injection used in administering HBVAX. It should also be noted that an intense health-education program, stressing high sanitary standards, was instrumental to the project.