The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that infants born to hepatitis B-infected mothers should receive Hepatitis B Immune Globulin (HBIG) and a complete 3-dose hepatitis B vaccine series within 6 months of birth. For infants that do not respond to the initial vaccine series (determined by a post-vaccine serologic test administered to the child following the final dose of hepatitis B vaccine), the standing ACIP recommendation was that infants not responding to the initial 3-dose series should receive a second full 3-dose revaccination series.
Emory was asked by the Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) to lead a cost analysis comparing a 1-dose revaccination strategy to the previously recommended 3-dose revaccination strategy (data shows most infants gain protection after just a single revaccination dose). Subject matter experts from DVH and Emory’s lead for this effort co-presented at the February 2017 ACIP meeting. ACIP members voted to update the recommendations to reflect a 1-dose revaccination strategy among infants born to hepatitis B-infected mothers who do not respond to the initial hepatitis B vaccine series, effectively saving this small subset of the population two doses of vaccine, along with related costs on both the provider’s and caregiver’s sides. A manuscript is being prepared for publication later this year.
Check out the presentation below!