Objective: To study the humoral immune responses, safety, and tolerability of intradermal recombinant hepatitis B vaccination in healthcare workers (HCWs) nonresponsive to previous repeated intramuscular vaccination.
Design: An open, prospective, before-after trial.
Setting: A tertiary referral hospital and surrounding district health service in Queensland, Australia.
Participants: Hospital and community HCWs nonresponsive to previous intramuscular hepatitis B vaccination.
Methods: Intradermal recombinant hepatitis B vaccine was administered every second week for a maximum of 4 doses. Hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) responses were assessed 2 weeks after each dose.
Results: Protective anti-HBs levels developed in 17 (94%) of 18 study subjects. Three doses resulted in seroconversion of all responding subjects and the highest geometric mean antibody concentration. The vaccine was well tolerated.
Conclusion: More than 90% of previously nonresponsive HCWs responded to intradermal recombinant hepatitis B vaccine with protective anti-HBs levels.