Immune response to an indigenously developed hepatitis-B ( Shanvac-B) vaccine in a tribal community of India

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 20; no. 29; pp. 3431 - 3435
• Main Authors: Murhekar, M.V, Murhekar, K.M, Arankalle, V.A, Sehgal, S.C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 04-10-2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Andaman and Nicobar Islands; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Epidemiology. Vaccinations; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Hepatitis B Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis B Vaccines - adverse effects; Hepatitis B Vaccines - immunology; Hepatitis-B; Hepatitis-B vaccine; Humans; India; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Tribes; Vaccination; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Virology; Asia; India; Hepatitis-B; Hepatitis-B vaccine; Tribes; Andaman and Nicobar Islands; India; Human; Sanitary program; Treatment efficiency; Vaccination; Orthohepadnavirus; Hepatic disease; Vaccine; Cost benefit ratio; Infection; Virus; Viral hepatitis B; Hepadnaviridae; Viral disease; Digestive diseases; Community health; Safety; Hepatitis B virus
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/S0264-410X(02)00337-7

Hepatitis-B infection is highly endemic among the primitive tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. A pilot project of hepatitis-B vaccination using indigenously developed (
Shanvac-B) was initiated among the Nicobarese tribe in Car Nicobar Island. The 936 individuals negative for HBsAg and anti-HBs were administered three doses of the vaccine at 0, 1 and 6 months. The vaccine was found to be safe and efficacious with sero-protection rates of 49.1, 86.9 and 96.7% after first, second and third dose. Considering the high endemicity of the infection and small number of the tribal population, it is necessary to initiate hepatitis-B vaccination programme for this community. Since the vaccine was found to be cost-effective, it could be adopted for hepatitis-B vaccination in this community.