A Hepatitis B vaccine “non-responder” refers to a person who does not develop protective surface antibodies after completing two full series of the Hepatitis B vaccine and for whom an acute or chronic Hepatitis B infection has been ruled out.
Although the majority of persons vaccinated against Hepatitis B successfully respond to vaccination, an estimated 5-15% of persons may not respond due to older age, obesity, smoking, and other chronic illness.
It is also possible that a person who does not respond to the vaccine may already be infected with Hepatitis B. Therefore, testing for the presence of the Hepatitis B virus (Hepatitis B surface antigen or HBsAg) is recommended before diagnosing a person as a “vaccine non-responder.”