What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 223 patients with hepatitis b. The study was sponsored by Duke University and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was long-term safety (phase 4). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
One in four vaccinated babies had a brief breathing pause, but none required serious medical help.
JAMA pediatrics · 2025 · NCT03530124
These findings — that had a brief breathing pause in the 48 hours after their 2-month vaccines — were published in the JAMA pediatrics and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 223 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with hepatitis b, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
If your premature baby is still in the hospital at two months, their breathing might pause briefly after vaccines — but this study found no serious problems. The pauses were short and didn't need extra treatment. Doctors say the vaccines are still safe and important for preemies. Talk to your care team about what to watch for after shots.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open hepatitis b trials
Efficacy of Tenofovir Disoproxil on Mother-to-child Transmission of HBV in Tokombéré, Cameroon in Pregnant Women
Pregnant women with HBeAg-positive viral hepatitis b or high viral load will receive Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) from the 28th week of amenorrhoea until 6 weeks after delivery. Their newborns will receive the hepatitis B vaccine, starting with one dose at birth and followed by three booster doses, according to the Expanded Programme on Immunisation. The investigators hypothesise that a short course of TDF could greatly reduce the risk of HBV MTCT in pregnant women at high risk of MTCT (HBeAg positive or with high viral load).
Real-world Study Optimizing Nucleotide-analogues
The goal of this multicenter, observational, prospective study is to observe and compare different anti-viral treatment strategies in a real-world cohort of patients with CHB managed in routine clinical settings in China. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. To evaluate the benefits of initiating first-line nucleos(t)ide analogue in patients with chronic HBV infection who are recommended in the updated Chinese Guideline 2022, but not recommended in the Chinese Guideline 2019. 2. To evaluate the Chinese Guideline recommends initiation of treatment, but at least one foreign authoritative guideline (eg. AASLD, EASL) does not recommend the benefit of initiating first-line nucleos(t)ide analogue in patients with chronic HBV infection who initiate treatment. 3. To compare the treatment effect of different alternatives with patients who have partial response after treatment with first-line nucleos(t)ide analogues.