title: Compliance with hepatitis B virus vaccine: a matter of force?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vaccination for hepatitis B virus has been mandatory in Italy since 1991 for newborns but not for workers exposed to biologic fluids.
  
  
  METHODS
  The immunologic status against hepatitis B virus was investigated in 827 paramedical students of Padua University Medical School. The students were subdivided according to sex and 2 age groups: 24 years of age or less and older than 24 years because subjects aged 24 years or less were probably included in the Italian vaccination mandatory period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects born during the mandatory period showed a large compliance to vaccination (94.9%) and without statistically significant difference between males and females compared with the oldest students (67.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevention at work is a matter of public health, not an individual sensitivity. For this reason, the devices to prevent accidents and diseases should be mandatory for all exposed subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, University of Padova, Italy. andrea.trevisan@unipd.it
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trevisan
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borella-Venturini
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Marco
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines