Response to the Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine in Iranian Infants

authors:

avatar Abdolvahai Moradi 1 , avatar Behnaz Khodabakhshi 1 , avatar Gholamreza Roshandel ORCID 2 , * , avatar Khodaverdi Kalavi 1 , avatar Sima Besharat 1 , avatar Shahryar Semnani 1

Golestan Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Golestan, IR.Iran
Golestan Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, roshandel_md@yahoo.com, Golestan, IR.Iran
Hepatitis Monthly: Vol.9, issue 3; 229-231
article type: Brief Report
received: April 8, 2009
accepted: June 20, 2009

How To Cite Moradi A, Khodabakhshi B, Roshandel G, Kalavi K, Besharat S, et al. Response to the Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine in Iranian Infants. Hepat Mon. 2009;9(3): 229-231. 

Abstract

Background and Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate infants' immune response to the hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out on 215 infants 7-12 months of age in the Golestan province in northeastern Iran in 2006. These children had already received the complete three-dose vaccination against hepatitis B. The serumal levels of hepatitis B surface antigen antibody (anti-HBs), hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc), and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results: Of all 215 participants, 55.3% were males. All of them were 7-12 months old. Eighty-six percent of the studied cases responded positively to the vaccination. The response rate for males was lower than the rate for females (P = 0.34).

Conclusions: We found that non-response to HBV vaccination is an important issue in our area. Further studies are needed to assess the influence of major factors such as the vaccination procedure, the type and site of inoculation, and vaccine preservation and transportation.

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