Hepatitis B vaccination status in health care workers of two university hospitals

BACKGROUND/ OBJECTIVE: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma and acute liver failure in Asia. It usually transmits through parenteral routes. The health personnel are at high risk for acquiring HBV infection. This study was designed to determine the immunization status for HBV infection in healthcare workers (HCWs) of two university hospitals in Sindh, Pakistan. METHODS: The healthcare workers of two university hospitals (Liaquat University Hospital, Jamshoro and Isra University Hospital, Hyderabad) were selected and divided into ten different groups. RESULTS: There were total 923 participants including 649 (70%) males and 274 (30%) females. The mean age of participants was 29.6 years. A total of 596 (64.6%) participants were immunized for HBV infection and 392 (66.2%) were inoculated three or more than three doses of vaccine. The pre vaccination HBSAg status was checked in 380 (41.2 %) and it was positive in 18 (4.7%) participants. The frequency of immunization was highest in doctors (92.4%) and lowest in nursing assistants (18.9%). CONCLUSION: A good number of HCWs is vaccinated against HBV infection in these two university hospitals of Sindh compared to general population of Pakistan. This study shows the need for a more aggressive approach to get HCWs vaccinated, because a significant percentage of them is not protected.