Hepatitis B vaccination rates among staff at a district general hospital.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the uptake of hepatitis B vaccination by staff of a metropolitan district general hospital and associated community health service in order to determine if the existing vaccination program was adequate.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey of all 1464 staff of a 304-bed district general hospital and associated community health service, serving a population of approximately 240,000 people in a middle socioeconomic area of northern Sydney, by means of a self-reported anonymous questionnaire.


RESULTS
The overall response rate was 56.4%, with 61.9% of high-risk and 48.7% of low-risk staff responding to the survey. The overall vaccination rate was 55.8%. Of high-risk respondents, 70.7% had been or were in the process of being vaccinated, compared with 29.4% of low-risk respondents. Of those already vaccinated, only 45.9% had subsequently been tested for antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs); 12% of this group did not know whether their response to the vaccine had been adequate and 18% reported being advised to have another anti-HBs test later. Vaccination rates were higher in younger staff (68.7% of 20-29-year-olds) than in older staff (42.7% of 50-59-year-olds). There was no significant difference in vaccination rates between men (55.6%) and women (55.8%). Vaccination rates for doctors, dentists and nurses were 69%, 80% and 74.6%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The vaccination rate among high-risk staff is suboptimal: more than half did not know whether their vaccination had induced a suitable level of antibodies; more than 10% had been vaccinated more than five years previously; and 5% had not completed the full course of three injections. High-risk staff should be targeted in future vaccination programs.
Stanford
M P
MP
Public Health Unit, Northern Sydney Area Health Service, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, NSW.
Black
T R
TR
March
L M
LM
Holt
D A
DA
Campbell
D H
DH
D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D006767:Hospitals, District; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce
D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines