title: Prevalence of hepatitis B vaccination among oral health care personnel in Mysore city, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The transmission of blood borne virus in health care workers is a potential occupational hazard to patients as well as to the Oral Health Care Personnel (OHCP). Hepatitis B remains a serious threat to dental team.
  
  
  METHODS
  To assess the vaccination status and post vaccination antibody status of oral health care personnel against Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection. Descriptive Cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among the oral health care personnel of Mysore city.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 300 oral health care personnel 256 (85.4%) were vaccinated for HBV infection and 44 (14.6%) had not taken vaccination. Highest frequency of vaccination was seen among dentists and least amongst dental lab technicians and other workers. This difference was highly significant among the different occupation groups (p= 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Majority of the OHCP of Mysore city have been vaccinated. Among them, dentists formed the majority group of vaccinated. But there was ignorance and less awareness regarding Hepatitis B vaccination among dental lab technicians and other workers like dental assistants and cleaning staff. Awareness amongst OHCPS against Hepatitis B vaccination has increased significantly over the years, but there are few who do not intend to get vaccinated.
authors.forename: Veera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sree Siddhartha Dental College and Hospital, Tumkur, India; Tel: +91-9164984840; e-mail: darmadhu@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Darshana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bennadi
authors.forename: Nandita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kshetrimayum
authors.forename: C V K
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Satish
authors.forename: Umashankar
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kura
authors.forename: Guruprasad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yadavalli