Abstract
In 2002, the first Chinese domestic preservative-free inactivated hepatitis A vaccine, Healive®, was introduced in China. It is highly immunogenic, and provides lasting protection in healthy individuals and generates protective levels of antibodies in other at-risk individuals. Over 10 years since its first licensure, postmarketing surveillance data have confirmed the outstanding safety profile of the vaccine. Comparative clinical trials indicated that Healive® induce equal or similar immunogenicity with other currently available inactivated hepatitis A vaccines and are interchangeable for the course of HAV immunization in Chinese children. The vaccine is effective in curbing outbreaks of hepatitis A due to rapid seroconversion and the long incubation period of the disease. Additional issues surrounding the use of the vaccine are also reviewed.