Efficacy of minimal doses of an American hepatitis B vaccine in neonates.

Eight neonates and three young children at risk for hepatitis B infection were vaccinated with minimal doses of inactivated hepatitis B vaccine. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of low doses with a view toward reducing the cost of immunization and therefore extending the practice to a larger number of subjects and minimizing the incidence of adverse reactions to the vaccine. The patients received two intramuscular injections (0.

RIA evaluation of antibody levels in neonates from HBsAg-positive mothers after active, passive, and combined immunoprophylaxis.

We evaluated the anti-HBs titers in 20 babies born to HBsAg-positive mothers and receiving different programs designed to prevent hepatitis B. Passive prophylaxis by HBIG for 6 months assured detectable antibody levels in the same period. 3 months after the last injection we could detect antibodies in 5 out of 9 cases.