One nagging question with vaccines is how long their protection lasts. A recent study looked at the duration of protection provided by the two different hepatitis B vaccines used in children: recombinant (group 1 - 70 children) and plasma-derived (group 2 - 41 children).
All the children received the vaccine according to the manufacturer's recommendation. The children in both groups received vaccinations at birth, and at one and six months of age. Those receiving the recombinant vaccine got a booster at five years of age; those receiving the plasma-derived vaccine got a booster at nine years of age.
Over 90% of the children in both groups had protective antibody levels at the time of their booster shots. The researchers concluded that "A primary vaccination series with either plasma-derived or recombinant hepatitis B vaccine affords long-term protection for children when vaccinated beginning soon after birth."
The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 2/03, pp. 157-63.
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