The necessity of booster vaccination after neonatal hepatitis B vaccination

Soon after introducing recombinant hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine, universal neonatal vaccination became the corner stone of the preventive measures for this potentially life threatening infection (1-3). By 2006 more than 177 out of 193 member states of world health organization (WHO) introduced HBV vaccination in their national infant immunization programs (1). Following a complete series of vaccination during neonatal period, protective antibody level raises in more than 95% of infant’s blood test up to 18 months after vaccination (3-5). The effectiveness of this strategy has been shown by several investigators in reducing the incidence of HBV carrier rate and probably cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (1, 2, 5-7).