The first combined vaccine against hepatitis A and B: an overview

摘要

Hepatitis A and B infections are prevalent world-wide and are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. A vaccine providing dual protection against hepatitis A and B is now available (Twinrix(TM), SmithKline Beecham Biologicals). Six pivotal vaccine trials, involving 843 healthy adults, aged between 17 and 60 years and vaccinated following a 0, 1, 6 month schedule are discussed. At month 2 more than 99% of the vaccinees were seropositive for anti-HAV and 84% were protected against hepatitis B. The third dose induced a 12-fold increase in geometric mean titres (GMTs) to 5404 mIU/ml, One month after completion of the vaccination course nearly ail vaccinees had protective titres against hepatitis B with a GMT of 4818 mIU/ml, Long term follow-up data until month 48 is available for two studies. At month 48 all 129 vaccinees sampled were still positive for anti-HAV antibodies and >95%, were still protected against hepatitis B.