Hepatitis B vaccination in preterm infants

Aim—To investigate the immunogenicity and safety of existing recommendations for hepatitis B vaccination in preterm infants. Methods—Recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (H-B-VAX II, 5 μg per dose) was given to 85 preterm infants divided into two groups, using two diVerent schedules. Forty four group A infants with birthweights of < 2000 g received three doses at 1, 2, and 7 months of age. Forty one group B infants with birthweights of >2000 g received three doses at 0, 1, and 6 months of age. Results—After vaccination, 42 infants from group A (95%) and 37 infants from group B (90%) developed protective levels of antibody.The final seropositive rate and the geometric mean concentration of hepatitis B surface antibody between the two groups were not significantly diVerent. The immune response of preterm infants to hepatitis B vaccines was similar to that of term infants in a previous study. Conclusions—Preterm infants can be given hepatitis B vaccines using one of the above two diVerent schedules, at a cutoV birthweight of 2000 g. (Arch Dis Child 1997;77:F135–F138)