OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of universal vaccination against viral hepatitis B in South Africa among 18-month-old rural children. METHODS: Children were immunized with a course of low-dose (1.5 microg), plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age, and blood samples from the children were tested for three hepatitis B markers: hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HBs and anti-HBc. FINDINGS: One year after vaccination, a protective anti-HBs antibody titre of at least 10 IU/l was present in 669/769 (87.0%) of blood serum samples tested. Only 3/756 children (0.4%) were HBsAg positive and a fourth child was anti-HBc positive (HBsAg negative). This is a marked decrease compared to the hepatitis B prevalences reported in previous studies. Among rural migrant mine-workers, for example, HBsAg prevalence was 9.9%, and was 10.1% among children 0-6 years of age in the Eastern Cape Province. CONCLUSION: The low-dose, plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine, which is affordable to most developing countries, was very successful in controlling endemic hepatitis B infection, where the virus is predominantly spread by horizontal transmission among infants and young children.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of universal vaccination against viral hepatitis B in South Africa among 18-month-old rural children. METHODS:Children were immunized with a course of low-dose (1.5 microg), plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age, and blood samples from the children were tested for three hepatitis B markers: hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HBs and anti-HBc. FINDINGS: One year after vaccination, a protective anti-HBs antibody titre of at least 10 IU/l was present in 669/769 (87.0%) of blood serum samples tested. Only 3/756 children (0.4%) were HBsAg positive and a fourth child was anti-HBc positive (HBsAg negative). This is a marked decrease compared to the hepatitis B prevalences reported in previous studies. Among rural migrant mine-workers, for example, HBsAg prevalence was 9.9%, and was 10.1% among children 0-6 years of age in the Eastern Cape Province. CONCLUSION: The low-dose, plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine, which is affordable to most developing countries, was very successful in controlling endemic hepatitis B infection, where the virus is predominantly spread by horizontal transmission among infants and young children.
Authors: Edina Amponsah-Dacosta; Ramokone L Lebelo; J Nare Rakgole; Selokela G Selabe; Maemu P Gededzha; Simnikiwe H Mayaphi; Eleanor A Powell; Jason T Blackard; M Jeffrey Mphahlele Journal: J Clin Virol Date: 2014-12-03 Impact factor: 3.168
Authors: Christopher J Hoffmann; Fildah Mashabela; Silvia Cohn; Jennifer D Hoffmann; Sanjay Lala; Neil A Martinson; Richard E Chaisson Journal: J Int AIDS Soc Date: 2014-05-22 Impact factor: 5.396
Authors: Alexander J Stockdale; James E Meiring; Isaac T Shawa; Deus Thindwa; Niza M Silungwe; Maurice Mbewe; Rabson Kachala; Benno Kreuels; Pratiksha Patel; Priyanka Patel; Marc Y R Henrion; Naor Bar-Zeev; Todd D Swarthout; Robert S Heyderman; Stephen B Gordon; Anna Maria Geretti; Melita A Gordon Journal: J Infect Dis Date: 2022-09-13 Impact factor: 7.759