EVALUATION OF INITIATING A HEPATITIS-B VACCINATION SCHEDULE WITH ONE VACCINE AND COMPLETING IT WITH ANOTHER

The purpose of this study was to determine if a hepatitis B vaccination schedule initiated with one recombinant DNA vaccine could be completed with another. Forty-eight adults on a hepatitis B vaccination schedule of 0, 1 and 6 months had received their first two doses with Merck Sharpe and Dohme's recombinant DNA (MSD rDNA) vaccine (Recombivax HB) at its adult dose of 10-mu-g. At month 6, the subjects were randomized to receive SmithKline Beecham's recombinant DNA (SB rDNA) vaccine (Engerix-B) at its adult dose of 20-mu-g or MSD rDNA vaccine. Just prior to the third dose of SB rDNA or MSD rDNA vaccine, the geometric mean anti-HBs titres (GMT) were 161 and 168 mIU ml-1 for the two groups, respectively. The GMT at month 7 were 4077 and 2654 mIU ml-1 for those who had received SB rDNA or MSD rDNA vaccine, respectively. This study demonstrates that a hepatitis B vaccination schedule initiated with MSD rDNA vaccine can be completed with SB rDNA vaccine.