Evaluating the influence of maternal anti-HBs status on the antibody levels in vaccinated children

Background and Aims: The mother's Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) vaccination status may impact the child's response. We aimed to investigate the children's vaccine response based on the mother's vaccination status. Methods: In a retrospective study, we included children ≤10 years old born to HBsAg negative mothers, with available maternal and children anti-HBs antibodies. Children of vaccinated and unvaccinated mothers were compared and categorized based on anti-HBs titers: 0–9.9, 10–100, 101–500, 501–1000, and ≥1001 mlU/ml. Results: 14,485 children were included. No significant difference in the anti-HBs positivity rate was found among the children of vaccinated and unvaccinated mothers (70.4 % vs. 69.7 %, p = 0.337). Vaccine response in vaccinated vs. unvaccinated mothers was 93.5 % vs. 92.1 % for the first year of age, 87.7 % vs. 87.3 % for age 3 years, and 82.5 % vs. 82.2 % for age 5 years, respectively. Young children (7–36 months) had higher protective titer rates than older children. A higher proportion of the ≥1001 mlU/ml category was recorded among children of mothers with negative or low anti-HBs antibodies in the first year of age, reaching 40.9 %. With age, the proportion of children with 10–100 mlU/ml increased, corresponding to the mother's titer. Conclusion: The maternal HBV vaccination status does not impact the children's response, but the mother's anti-HBs titers may affect the child's antibody level. Maternal anti-HBs antibody titers may neutralize the vaccine HBsAg to impair the reponse.