Two cases of asymptomatic HBV “vaccine breakthrough” infection detected in blood donors screened for HBV DNA

High prevalence of anti‐hepatitis B core antigen in hepatitis B virus–vaccinated Chinese blood donors suggests insufficient protection but little threat to the blood supply

“…From a blood safety perspective, HBV transmission by transfusion depends on the number of infectious particles transfused, the presence and level of anti‐HBs in the transfused product, and the HBV susceptibility of the individual . In the cohort of 12,566 vaccinated blood donors tested by NAT, 24 samples (0.19%) contained HBV DNA but no HBsAg (Table ).…”

“…These failures might originate from maternal infection or, more often, contacts with HBV horizontally or, as the data presented here suggest, sexually during adolescence and early adulthood. Although blood donors with evidence of contact with HBV do not present evidence of significant liver disease or viral load sufficient to present a transmission risk to others, transfusion transmission might occur as it does in OBI cases . The main risk remains HBV reactivation when these individual would become immunodeficient, naturally or induced by immunosuppressive treatments.…”

Discordance of hepatitis B vaccination policies for healthcare workers between the USA, the UK, and Germany

“…Although the development of protective anti‐HBs levels was not confirmed after a primary vaccination series, serum HBV DNA and anti‐HBs could simultaneously be detected with or without HBsAg in vaccinated blood donors. The majority of vaccinated donors showed low levels of serum HBV DNA (<1000 IU/mL) . The majority of vaccinated donors showed low levels of serum HBV DNA (<1000 IU/mL).…”

“…The majority of vaccinated donors showed low levels of serum HBV DNA (<1000 IU/mL). In these studies, all of the breakthrough infections in the vaccinated blood donors were asymptomatic and resolved spontaneously . Whether HBV infection is cleared or persists is determined by the quality and quantity of host innate and adaptive immune response to HBV .…”

Interleukin-22 as a molecular adjuvant facilitates IL-17-producing CD8+T cell responses against a HBV DNA vaccine in mice

“…HBV is a species of the genus Orthohepadnavirus, part of the Hepadnaviridae family of viruses that cause chronic liver disease and are transmitted via body fluids. [4][5][6] Infection can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. About 350 million people worldwide are HBV chronic carriers.…”