Effectiveness of Intradermal Hepatitis B Immunization of Hospital Staff

Abstract

Three doses of hepatitis B vaccine were administered via an intradermal route to 316 health service staff. One month after the final dose, 89.9% of subjects had antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen at levels of 10 IU/l or greater. A programme of hepatitis B immunization based upon the intradermal route is substantially less expensive than one using an intramuscular technique, and can enable health authorities to provide protection for increased numbers of staff without diverting resources from other programmes of health care.