Special address: Safety of hepatitis B vaccination

• Published in: Vaccine 2000-02, Vol.18, p.S10-S11
• Main Author: Dittmann, Sieghart
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: France; hepatitis B; Hepatitis B Vaccines - adverse effects; Hepatitis B virus; Humans; immunization; multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - etiology; Safety; special address; vaccines; World Health Organization
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/S0264-410X(99)00453-3

Although the current vaccine against hepatitis B virus (HBV) is believed to be one of the safest vaccines ever produced, concerns are still sometimes expressed. This has been particularly so since 1996 when a French neurologist reported several cases of multiple sclerosis (MS) or demyelinating disease in women who had received hepatitis B vaccine, and this was picked up by the media and anti-immunization groups. In 1998, the French Health Authorities invited leading experts in the fields of immunization and possible side effects to meet in Paris and discuss scientific studies carried out in France on a possible relationship of hepatitis B vaccine and MS. The meeting concluded that there is no evidence of a causal link between MS and the vaccine. Nevertheless, the Minister of Health took the decision to stop the immunization of school-children aged 11-12 years, but to continue the immunization of infants and adults at high risk for hepatitis B. The rationale for this decision was the limited opportunity for a full discussion to reach informed consent during immunization sessions carried out in schools. It was recommended that immunization of schoolchildren and adolescents would in future be performed by general practitioners, who have a better opportunity to discuss the benefit and risk of immunization on an individual basis and obtain informed consent.