The path to an RSV vaccine.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the greatest remaining unmet infant vaccine need in developed countries and an important unmet infant vaccine need worldwide. More than 40 years of effort have yet to result in a licensed RSV vaccine for humans. Key challenges to RSV vaccine development include a peak of severe disease at 2-3 months of age, problematic biochemical behavior of key vaccine antigens, a history of vaccine-mediated disease enhancement, and reliance on animal models that may not accurately reflect human disease processes.

Immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccine among hemodialysis patients: effect of revaccination of non-responders and duration of protection.

Background: Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for patients on hemodialysis, however, seroprotection after a primary vaccine series is suboptimum. Limited data are available on the effect of revaccination of non-responders and on persistence of immunity in this population.

Methods: Hepatitis B vaccine (40 μg/dose) was given to 77 susceptible patients on hemodialysis (0, 1, and 6 month schedule).