Long-term protective effects of hepatitis A vaccines. A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Data on duration and long-term protective effects of hepatitis A vaccines (HepA) have not been reviewed using a systematic approach. Our objective is to provide a comprehensive review of evidence on the duration of protection achieved by HepA, which is needed for revising existing vaccine policies. Limitations in data availability and implications for future research in this area are discussed.

METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted including all studies published between 1997 and 2011 reporting on long-term protection of HepA. The outcomes considered were hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection and sero-protection measured by anti-HAV antibodies after follow-up times of over 5 years post-vaccination.

RESULTS: 299 studies were identified from MEDLINE and 51 studies from EMBASE. 13 manuscripts met our inclusion criteria. The maximum observation times and reported persistence levels of sero-protective anti-HAV antibodies was 15 years for live attenuated HepA and 14 years for inactivated HepA. All data were from observational studies and showed that higher number of doses of live attenuated vaccine led to higher seropositivity and GMT, but dosage and schedule did not significantly impact the long-term protection following inactivated vaccine. Few comparisons were made between the two vaccine types indicating highest levels of antibody titers achieved by multiple doses of live attenuated vaccines 7 years post-vaccination.

CONCLUSION: Available data indicate that both inactivated and live attenuated HepA are capable of providing protection up to 15 years as defined by currently accepted, conservative correlates of protection. Further investigations are needed to continue to monitor the long-term protection afforded by these vaccines. Standardized methods are required for vaccine-follow-up studies including assessment of co-variables potentially affecting long-term protection.