Hepatitis B virus surface antigen and antibody markers in children at a major paediatric hospital after the pentavalent DTP-HBV-Hib vaccination

OBJECTIVES: The knowledge about outcomes of infant vaccination against HBV infections using the DPT-HepB-Hib vaccine in Ghana is limited. This study therefore investigated the levels of immunity to HBV among children who received the DPT-HepB-Hib vaccine and HBsAg carriage in non-responders. Correlates for non-response or poor response were also investigated.

METHODS: Cross-sectional study. A major paediatric hospital in Accra. Four hundred and twenty four children between the ages of 5 to 32 months who had completed the full vaccination schedule for the DPT-HepB-Hib vaccine.

RESULTS: Of the 424 children, 358 (84.4%) developed anti-HBs while 340 (80.2%) developed ≥10 mIU/ml anti-HBs (sero-protection) and 3 had HBsAg. A binary logistic regression analysis showed that younger children were associated with sero-conversion (p=.022) and sero-protection (p=.021). For anti-HBs titres ≥100 mIU/ml age was a weaker but significant contributor (p=.041), as compared to the number of vaccines from different manufacturers the child used (p=.028). The mean age of those who used a single type of vaccine was higher (14.75 ± 6.056 months; n=268) than those who used vaccines from two or more manufacturers (11.96 ± 4.645 months; n=156), p= <.001 (CI: -3.897 - 1.688), an indication that efforts to procure vaccine from same source when it was initially introduced are waning.

CONCLUSIONS: There is still a residual possibility of infection with HBV in spite of infant vaccination. In the light of possible loss of anamnestic response over time, there is the need to consider a birth dose for HBV vaccination for all neonates or booster dose for infants who may not have received the vaccine at birth. Using vaccines from a single manufacturer is recommended.

FUNDING: None declared.