A 2024 cross-sectional survey in Zhengding County, Hebei, evaluated the 26-year protective efficacy of the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell-derived hepatitis B vaccine (CHO-HepB) and 6.5-year anamnestic response to booster vaccination. Cohort I comprised 178 participants born 1997 and 1999 who had received the standard three-dose series at birth and no subsequent booster. Their mean interval since vaccination was 25.7 years. HBsAg, anti-HBc, and anti-HBs positivity rates were 0.56 % (95 % CI: 0-1.66 %), 1.12 % (95 % CI, 0-2.67 %) and 64.61 % (95 % CI, 57.88-71.34 %), respectively. Among 115 positive individuals, the geometric mean concentration (GMC) was 84.93 mIU/mL (95 % CI, 65.99-109.31). Against a historical local HBsAg prevalence of 11.3 %, the estimated vaccine protection rate was approximately 95.0 %. Serial surveys of the same cohort conducted in 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2024 revealed no significant increase in HBsAg or anti-HBc positivity over 7-26 years post-vaccination (both P > 0.05), whereas anti-HBs positivity declined significantly (P < 0.05). Cohort II included 97 individuals who received a booster in 2018. After 6.5 years, none were HBsAg or anti-HBc-negative; however, anti-HBs positivity fell from 87.6 % to 51.5 %, and GMCs declined accordingly. In conclusion, CHO-HepB confers durable protection for at least 26 years, with no new infections or carriers observed despite waning anti-HBs levels. Routine booster does may be unnecessary for the general population, yet targeted boosting could help sustain herd immunity and avert future outbreaks, particularly in high-risk populations. Continued emphasis on preventing mother-to-child transmission remains essential for hepatitis B control.
Keywords: Anamnestic response; Hepatitis B virus surface antibody (anti-HBs); Long-term protective efficacy; Recombinant CHO cell-derived hepatitis B vaccine.
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