Objective: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine that has been applied widely in five areas of China where HBV prevalence was highly endemic.
Method: A cross-sectional investigation was conducted in 2009 at five HBV surveillance sites around China. The target study subjects of 6772 were born between 1986 and 1996 and received plasma-derived HBV vaccine. Serum samples were collected to test for HBV markers using the microparticle enzyme immunoassay.
Results: The number of participants enrolled was 6772. The average hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence was 2.01%. The birth dose group included 5052 children. In this group, the average positive rates of HBsAg and hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) were 1.58% and 6.39%, respectively, and these values declined gradually from 1986 to 1996. The positive rates of anti-hepatitis B surface antibody (HBs) and the geometric mean concentration (GMC) of anti-HBs-positive subjects were 41.69% and 115.8mIU/ml.
Conclusion: The long-term effectiveness of the plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine still provided protection 13-23 years after vaccination. It seems that a booster dose is not necessary. Enhancing the rate of the birth dose within 24h is one of the most important measures to prevent and control HBV infection.
Keywords: Hepatitis B vaccination; Hepatitis B virus; Long-term efficacy.
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