Efficacy of hepatitis B vaccine wanes with time

The efficacy of hepatitis vaccination in infancy in a highly endemic country wanes with time, but efficacy against chronic infection remains high over 14 years. Whittle and colleagues (p 569) measured vaccine efficacy in 172 children and teenagers in a Gambian village who had been immunised against hepatitis B in infancy. Efficacy of the vaccine against infection was 65%. Against chronic carriage efficacy was 88%. The authors say that due to the small numbers in the study a larger study of efficacy during adolescence is needed to decide whether a booster dose of hepatitis B vaccine is necessary in teenagers.

(Credit: WHO)

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