Antibody to Hepatitis B Surface Antigen in Vaccinated Health Care Workers.
BACKGROUND
Health care workers (HCWs) in Armed Forces are immunised against Hepatitis B virus (HBV), however they are not subjected to anti-HBs (antibody to Hepatitis B surface antigen) assessment after primary vaccination. The present study was undertaken to determine the protection offered by HBV vaccine in HCW.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study was carried out at tertiary care hospital. A total 146 HBV vaccine compliant HCW were evaluated for quantitative anti-HBs by enzyme immune assay.


RESULTS
129 (88.4%) subjects had protective levels of anti-HBs. Higher age at vaccination was an important risk factor in low vaccine response. Decline in anti-HBs with time was evident. Anti-HBs levels were more than 10mIU/ml in subjects even after 11 years of primary vaccination. There was no difference in protection in booster and non booster groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Age is the most important factor in HBV vaccine response. Booster dose of HBV vaccine is not necessary in healthy HCW for atleast ten years after primary vaccination. The study recommends early primary vaccination of HCW and 'initial' anti-HBs assay for confirmation of vaccine response.
Classified Specialist (Microbiology), INHS Jeevanti, Vasco-Da-Gama-403802.
C N
CN
Chaudhari
Senior Advisor (Medicine & Gastroenterology), Command Hospital (CC), Lucknow.
M R
MR
Bhagat
Microbiologist, Yashoda Hospital, Hyderabad.
T
T
Shah
Commanding Officer, INHS Kalyani, Visakhapatnam.
R N
RN
Misra
Anti-Hepatitis B surface antigen; Health care workers; Hepatitis B virus vaccine
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