Trends in vaccine-induced immunity to hepatitis B among Canadian street-involved youth.
In Canada, universal and publicly funded hepatitis B immunization programs have been available since 1998 in all provinces and territories. This present study estimates the proportion of having vaccine-induced immunity to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and its associated determinants among street-involved youth aged at 15-24 years old in Canada using the data collected by the Enhanced Surveillance of Canadian Street Youth. Vaccine-induced immunity was identified by blood test results of anti-HBc negative and anti-HBs positive. Of the 4,035 participants included in this study, the overall proportion of those with vaccine-induced immunity to HBV was 51.7% during the study period compared to over 90% among the general adolescent population. The proportion of street-involved youth immunized with HBV vaccine increased from 34.7% in 1999 to 64.4% in 2005. Immunity was higher among females (aOR = 1.43, 1.17-1.75) and among those with a reported history of sexually transmitted infection (aOR = 1.30, 1.03-1.63). The proportion of youth with the immunity decreased as age increased (aOR = 0.78, 0.76-0.81, per year increase). Despite an overall increase in the proportion of Canadian street-involved youth with vaccine-induced immunity to HBV, the proportion was still significantly lower than that observed in the general adolescent population. This highlights the need to improve the access to basic health care and the immunization programs to HBV for street-involved youth through creative outreach programs and other multi-faceted approaches.
Huang
Ling
L
Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada. ling_huang@phac-aspc.gc.ca.
Gilbert
Marie-Line
ML
Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Rossi
Miriam F
MF
Hospital for Sick Kids, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Haase
David
D
Infectious Diseases, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Wright
Judith
J
Public Health Services, Saskatoon Health Region, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
Sicard
Nadine
N
STI Services, Ottawa Public Health, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Beaudoin
Carole
C
National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Taylor
Darlene
D
STI/HIV Prevention, BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Gratrix
Jennifer
J
STD Centre, Capital Health Region, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Belzak
Lisa
L
Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Wong
Tom
T
Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Jayaraman
Gayatri
G
Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
D000293:Adolescent; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018453:Homeless Youth; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D055815:Young Adult
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines