Prevalence of markers for hepatitis B virus and vaccination compliance among medical school students in Italy.
The prevalence of markers for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the rate of compliance with HBV vaccination laws were investigated in a study at Padua University Medical School (Italy). Of 2,361 students, 385 (16.3%) tested negative for antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen. When vaccination was actively offered to these students, there was a low rate of compliance (47.0% [181 students]) but a good rate of seroconversion (93.1% [95 of 102 students]). Screening for HBV markers appears to be crucial to efforts to increase rates of vaccination coverage.
Trevisan
Andrea
A
Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. andrea.trevisan@unipd.it
Bruno
Alberto
A
Mongillo
Michele
M
Morandin
Marta
M
Pantaleoni
Anna
A
Borella-Venturini
Matteo
M
Giraldo
Monica
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines