Evaluation of immunogenicity and tolerability of a live attenuated hepatitis a vaccine in Indian children

An open non comparative study of a live attenuated H2 strain Hepatitis A vaccine of Chinese origin was carried out in 143 healthy Indian children aged I to 12 years (mean age 4.87 + 2.76 years; 88 boys, 55 girls). At baseline, all were negative for IgG HAV antibodies and had normal hematological and biochemical indices. Two months after a single dose of the vaccine (given subcutaneously), 137 children (i.e. 95.8%) developed protective antibodies of IgG >20 mIU/mL. The hematological and biochemical parameters remained within normal limits. There were no adverse events in any except mild fever in one child. In conclusion, live attenuated H2 strain Hepatitis A vaccine in a single dose was found to be immunogenic and safe in Indian children.