Stepped-up vaccine series for hepatitis B is effective during pregnancy

A potential new protocol to protect pregnant women who are at risk for hepatitis B – a health problem that affects two billion people worldwide – has been identified by UT Southwestern Medical Center specialists. An accelerated hepatitis B vaccination schedule for high-risk pregnant women was found effective and well-tolerated. While the normal three-shot regimen of hepatitis B vaccine for adults – given over a six-month period – has long been recommended for pregnant women, that schedule often proved unmanageable in the course of a pregnancy. “It’s difficult to get all three doses in pregnancy, and people tend to get lost to follow-up, especially high-risk populations,” said Dr. Jeanne Sheffield, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UT Southwestern and lead author of the study. The research team stepped up the process for pregnant women and used the normal three-shot dosage given to adults over a 12-week period. That regimen is the shortest...