Vaccine News From ECCMID

The following vaccine studies were presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease in Vienna, Austria, last week.

- Preliminary results from a clinical trial of SmithKline Beecham's combined diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis plus hepatitis B vaccine (DTPa-HBV) show that it is highly immunogenic with respect to all of the antigens, according to data collected to date from 102 of 719 enrolled infants. The vaccine was given at three, four and five months, and caused seropositivity to the hepatitis B component in 94% of the 102 subjects after the third dose. It did not appear to reduce seroconversion to any of the other elements (>98% seropositive after the full course). The researchers conclude the combined administration of DTPa and HBV antigen in a single injection will facilitate vaccination against hepatitis B.

- Merck & Co's inactivated hepatitis A vaccine, Vaqta, was immunogenic in 90 healthy US adults who were randomized to receive either two doses (at 0 and 24 weeks) or three doses (at 0, two and 24 weeks) of the vaccine. 100% of recipients were anti-HAV positive at the end of the study (30 days after the final vaccination). and the vaccine caused no significant medical adverse consequences, according to the researchers.