Vaccination against hepatitis b virus: are Italian medical students sufficiently protected after the public vaccination programme?

Abstract

BackgroundThe 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.MethodsA 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.ResultsOf 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.ConclusionThe 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.

Hepatitis B Virus Vaccination Coverage in Medical, Nursing, and Paramedical Students: A Cross-Sectional, Multi-Centered Study in Greece

“…A recent study among Italian medical students found a similar pattern of vaccination during childhood. A recent study in Greek adolescents aged 11 to 19 has shown a vaccination coverage (HBV) of 96% [ 11 ].…”

Predictors of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Titers two decades after vaccination in a cohort of students and post-graduates of the Medical School at the University of Palermo, Italy

“…Several studies confirm that the acquired immunity persists for at least 10 years after vaccination with level of antibodies > 10 mIU/mL, but probably not longer, if vaccination had been performed at neonatal age [6][7]. In several countries in the world, students of faculties of medicine are examined to establish if the vaccination performed in infancy is still protective several decades after HBV vaccinations, because this is a population occupationallyexposed to a higher risk of acquiring HBV infection [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20].…”

Long-term persistency of hepatitis B immunity: an observational cross-sectional study on medical students and resident doctors

“…Occupational Physicians should consider with particular attention the evaluation of the persistence of anti-HBV specific antibodies in medical students (in most cases vaccinated at birth age) and HCWs specifically at the time of the first employment in order to identify subjects with non-protective anti-HBs titer [32, 33]. Occupational Physicians’ contribution to reduce vaccine delays or refusals and vaccine hesitancy that are also affecting HCWs is crucial [34].…”