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Subcutaneous administration of inactivated hepatitis B vaccine by automatic jet injection
Author(s) -
Lemon Stanley M.,
Scott Robert Mcnair,
Bancroft William H.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890120207
Subject(s) - medicine , booster dose , subcutaneous injection , intramuscular injection , virology , immunogenicity , hepatitis b vaccine , volunteer , immunization , hbsag , hepatitis b virus , antibody , immunology , virus , biology , agronomy
To assess the feasibility of jet injection for mass immunization against hepatitis B virus, inactivated, alum‐adsorbed hepatitis B vaccine (Merck, Sharp, and Dohme Research Laboratories, West Point, PA) was administered subcutaneously by automatic jet injection to 19 volunteers lacking antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti‐HBs). Three 20‐μg doses were given at 0, 1, and 6 months. Of 19 volunteers, 5 (26%) developed anti‐HBs by 1 month after the first injection, and 15 of 19 (79%) were anti‐HBs‐positive 6 to 8 weeks after the first booster administration. Following the second booster, 16 of 19 (84%) recipients had detectable anti‐HBs. Possible systemic reactions were limited to low‐grade fever (37.8°C) in one volunteer following one injection, and mild lethargy in a second recipient. Local reactions to jet injection of vaccine occurred more frequently, with indurated, nodular lesions 3–10 mm in diameter developing at the site of 19 of 57 (33%) vaccine injections, compared with 2 of 57 (3%) saline placebo injections. Such nodules were generally painless. Sore arms were noted in 11 of 57 (19%) vaccine injections. With the exception of frequent but minor local reactions, subcutaneous administration of inactivated hepatitis B vaccine by automatic jet injection is safe, and results in vaccine immunogenicity approximating that associated with intramuscular needle injection.