Adverse reaction to the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine

Recombinant DNA techniques have permitted the development of vaccines to the hepatitis B virus that are prepared by cloning and expressing the HbsAg gene in yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae ). Adverse reactions to these vaccines consist primarily of local reactions, such as arm soreness, mild transient induration, and mild general symptoms, such as fatigue. In this article, were report a patient who presented an immediate generalized reaction to a yeast-derived hepatitis B vaccine. The reaction appeared to be allergic in nature. We describe our attempts to identify the sensitizing agent.