Vaccination Against Hepatitis B Virus: Are Italian Medical Students Sufficiently Protected After the Public Vaccination Programme?

Overview

Journal J Occup Med Toxicol

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Environmental Health

Date 2015 Nov 6

PMID 26539242

Citations 20

Authors

Monica Lamberti

Alfredo De Rosa

Elpidio Maria Garzillo

Anna Rita Corvino

Nicola Sannolo

Stefania De Pascalis

Eliana Di Fiore

Claudia Westermann

Antonio Arnese

Di Giuseppe Gabriella

Albert Nienhaus

Antonio Paulino Ribeiro Sobrinho

Nicola Coppola

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The development of a vaccine against hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been a major achievement in terms of prevention of HBV infection. For the present study, we analysed the long-term immunogenicity and effectiveness of HBV vaccination among healthcare students with different working seniorities.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of undergraduate and postgraduate students attending the Medical School of the Second University of Naples was conducted between September 2012 and December 2014. HBV serum markers were determined and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with the level of long-term immunogenicity.

Results: Of the 2,932 subjects evaluated, only 33 (1.1 %) declared no history of vaccination. All vaccinated subjects were HBsAg/anti-HBc negative, 459 of which had an anti-HBs titre <10 IU/L. The latter were younger, more likely to be attending a healthcare profession school (i.e., dental hygienists, nursing, paediatric nursing, radiography and midwifery) than a medical school (at either undergraduate or postgraduate level) and more likely to have been vaccinated in infancy.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that assessment of HBV serum markers in workers potentially exposed to hospital infections is useful to identify small numbers of unvaccinated subjects or vaccinated subjects with low antibody titre, all of whom should be referred to a booster series of vaccinations.

Citing Articles

Hepatitis B virus immunity prior to and after administration of a 'booster' dose of vaccine among health-care students at a South African university.

Makan N, Song E, Kinge C, Kramvis A Vaccine X. 2023; 14:100284.

PMID: 37063305 PMC: 10090248. DOI: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2023.100284.

Long-Term Effectiveness of Hepatitis B Vaccination in the Protection of Healthcare Students in Highly Developed Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Rahmani A, Montecucco A, Kusznir Vitturi B, Debarbieri N, Dini G, Durando P Vaccines (Basel). 2022; 10(11).

PMID: 36366350 PMC: 9695994. DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111841.

Predictors of Hepatitis B screening and vaccination status of young psychoactive substance users in informal settlements in Kampala, Uganda.

Ssekamatte T, Isunju J, Mutyoba J, Tetui M, Mugambe R, Nalugya A PLoS One. 2022; 17(5):e0267953.

PMID: 35588113 PMC: 9119510. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267953.

The seroprevalence of the hepatitis B virus in Italian medical students after 3 decades since the introduction of universal vaccination.

Sartorelli P, Occhialini F, Miceli R, Pietronigro A, Bianciardi L, Salini C Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2021; 35(1):75-80.

PMID: 34448470 PMC: 10464808. DOI: 10.13075/ijomeh.1896.01835.

Future Healthcare Workers and Hepatitis B Vaccination: A New Generation.

Trevisan A, Mason P, Nicolli A, Maso S, Fonzo M, Scarpa B Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(15).

PMID: 34360071 PMC: 8345783. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18157783.

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