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Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, June 2006, p. 620-626, Vol. 13, No. 6
1071-412X/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CVI.00077-06

Immunologic Response to Haemophilus influenzae Type b (Hib) Conjugate Vaccine and Risk Factors for Carriage among Hib Carriers and Noncarriers in Southwestern Alaska

Henry C. Baggett,^1,2* Thomas W. Hennessy,¹ Lisa Bulkow,¹ Sandra Romero-Steiner,³ Debra Hurlburt,¹ Patricia Holder,³ Alan J. Parkinson,¹ Rosalyn J. Singleton,¹ Orin Levine,³ George M. Carlone,³ and Jay C. Butler¹

Arctic Investigations Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Anchorage, Alaska,¹ Epidemic Intelligence Service, Division of Applied Public Health Training, Epidemiology Program Office, Atlanta, Georgia,² Respiratory Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia³

Received 28 February 2006/ Returned for modification 10 March 2006/ Accepted 12 April 2006

Continued Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) carriage in rural Alaska contributes to the ongoing risk of invasive disease. Community-wide Hib carriage surveys were conducted in three villages in southwestern Alaska. Sixteen carriers and 32 age- and village-matched controls were enrolled and were vaccinated with Hib oligosaccharide-CRM₁₉₇ conjugate vaccine. Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration, antibody avidity, and serum bactericidal activity (SBA) were measured prior to Hib vaccination and 2 and 12 months after vaccination. We identified no demographic or behavioral factors associated with Hib colonization. Prior to vaccination, Hib carriers had a higher IgG geometric mean concentration than controls did (8.2 versus 1.6 µg/ml; P < 0.001) and a higher SBA geometric mean titer (7,132 versus 1,235; P = 0.006). Both groups responded to vaccination with increased IgG and SBA. These data illustrate the role of Hib colonization as an immunizing event and show that Hib carriers in communities with ongoing transmission have no evidence of reduced immune responsiveness that may have put them at risk for colonization.

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* Corresponding author. Present address: CDC, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, MS E03, 1600 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA 30333. Phone: (404) 639-4513. Fax: (404) 639-4441. E-mail: hbaggett{at}cdc.gov.

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Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, June 2006, p. 620-626, Vol. 13, No. 6
1071-412X/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CVI.00077-06