At-birth immunisation against hepatitis B using a novel pre-filled immunisation device stored outside the cold chain

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 18; no. 5; pp. 498 - 502
• Main Authors: Otto, Bradley F, Suarnawa, I.Made, Stewart, Tony, Nelson, Carib, Ruff, Tilman A, Widjaya, Anton, Maynard, James E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 14-10-1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cold chain; Cold Temperature; Epidemiology. Vaccinations; General aspects; Hepatitis B Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis B vaccine; Hepatitis B Vaccines - administration & dosage; Hepatitis B Vaccines - immunology; hepatitis B virus; Humans; Immunization - instrumentation; Indonesia; Infant, Newborn; Infectious diseases; Injections - instrumentation; Medical sciences; Newborn; Cold chain; Hepatitis B vaccine; Newborn; Human; Performance evaluation; Device; Vaccination; Orthohepadnavirus; Environmental factor; Infant; Vaccine; Virus; Immunogenicity; Hepadnaviridae; Sample conservation; Hepatitis B virus; Humoral immunity; Room temperature
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/S0264-410X(99)00242-X

We evaluated the immunogenicity of hepatitis B (HB) vaccine in UniJect, a pre-filled, non-reusable injection device, stored at tropical temperatures for up to one month and used to give the first dose of HB vaccine to newborns. Infants in Tabanan district, Bali, Indonesia, were given their first dose of HB vaccine with UniJect stored out of the cold chain, UniJect stored in the cold chain; or standard syringe, needle and multidose vial stored in the cold chain. Subsequent doses were given by usual means and blood samples drawn 4–6 weeks after the third dose. No significant differences were found in seroconversion rates or geometric mean titres of HB surface antibody between the three groups.