[Protection of adolescents against hepatitis A]

In Croatia, hepatitis A is still a considerable public health problem which, however, can be efficiently solved by vaccination. The study of vaccine immunogenicity and reactivity was performed in a random sample of 88 high school seniors, mean age 209 +/- 6.4 month (17 years and 5 months), from Ivanić-Grad and surrounding countyside. All the children were immunized by HAV sorbate SSW inactivated vaccine, manufactured by Sächsisches Serumwerk GmbH, Dresden. One 1-ml dose of the vaccine contains at least 720 units of inactivated HAV, MRC 5 strain, grown on human diploid cells and adsorbed on 0.95 mg aluminium hydroxide gel. The vaccine was administered intramuscularly, according to the scheme 0, 30, 60. Postvaccinal reactions were followed for 3 days after each dose and were observed in four (4.6%) children. A month after last dose (day 90), a 100% seroconversion was found. In 84 (95.5%) children, the level of antibodies exceeded 100 IU/L, one (1.1%) child had 80 IU/L, two (2.3%) children had 50 IU/L, one (1.1%) child had only 20 IU/L.