Immunogenicity of an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine administered according to two different schedules and the interference of other ''travellers'' vaccines with the immune response

A total of 2036 persons consulting vaccination centers in Germany were vaccinated with an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine (containing 720 ELISA units of antigen) either according to the standard schedule (two vaccinations given 4 weeks apart) or to an abbreviated schedule (two vaccinations given 2 weeks apart) in a controlled clinical study. The abbreviated schedule induced a similar rate of seroconversion and geometric mean antibody titre as compared to the standard schedule. The incidence of reactions reported after vaccination was similar in both groups. When other ''travellers'' vaccines were given simultaneously neither the immunogenicity nor the reactogenicity of the hepatitis A vaccine were influenced. These findings have considerable practical importance in the prevention of hepatitis A in travellers. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.