EARLY ANTI-HBS ANTIBODY-RESPONSE TO ACCELERATED AND TO CONVENTIONAL HEPATITIS-B VACCINATION REGIMENS IN HEALTHY-PERSONS

A significantly higher prevalence of a protective concentration of anti-HBs was achieved at 1 and 2 months among 132 healthy medical students who received an accelerated vaccination schedule with a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (Engerix-B) than among 120 medical students who received a conventional regimen. With the accelerated schedule, however, 60 % students at 1 month and 27 % at 2 months were still unprotected (anti-HBs titre < 10·0 IU/1). Additional passive immunisation should therefore continue to be offered if the accelerated schedule is adopted for post-exposure prophylaxis. © 1991 The British Society for the Study of Infection.