OVERVIEW OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HEPATITIS B IMMUNIZATION AND VACCINATION AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS
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Keywords
Hepatitis, Vaccine, Epidemiology, Healthcare workers, Prevalence.
Abstract
Introduction: Healthcare workers (HCWs) who are at high risk for HBV infection, have been recommended to receive the HB vaccine for over 20 years. This review aimed to highlight the enablers and obstacle facing the universal coverage of hepatitis B epidemiology and vaccination among healthcare workers.
Methods: A search was conducted using the following terms related to hepatitis B, vaccination, and healthcare workers in Africa: hepatitis B, hepatitis B virus, vaccination, immunization, healthcare workers, health workers, and health personnel. This review included cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies. Studies in English or French from any location were selected. A search was conducted for articles published from 1970 to 2022 in PubMed and the Excerpta Medica Database (Embase) using search terms related to hepatitis B and healthcare workers.
Results: This study analyzed 25 cross-sectional studies on healthcare workers (HCWs) in African countries to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B vaccination. The majority of the studies were conducted in hospitals and included HCWs from West and East Africa. After assessing the quality of the studies, 5 (14.3%) were found to be of high quality, 17 (77.1%) were of moderate quality, and 3 (8.6%) were of low quality. The proportion of HCWs who were fully vaccinated against hepatitis B varied widely, ranging from 0.8% in Rwanda to 72.0% in Libya. The overall pooled full vaccination coverage among HCWs in Africa was 24.7%. Subgroup analyses showed significant variation in vaccination coverage among HCWs in different regions of Africa and Asia, with the highest coverage in North Africa and the lowest in Central and East Africa.
Conclusions: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at higher risk of infection with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) compared to individuals who do not work in hospitals, with frequencies of infection up to 4 times higher. HBV can be transmitted between patients and HCWs, as well as between HCWs and their relatives, contributing to the ongoing chain of transmission.
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Mohammed Attia Ahmad Madkhali
Epidemiology Supervision Technician, Al-Muzhailif General Hospital,
Meshari Ibrahim Al-Rashdi
Anesthesia Technician, Al-Muzhailif General Hospital
Hussain Mohammed Alrufidi
Ray technician, Al-Muzhailif General Hospital,
Yahya Raddah Ali Alshihabi
Nursing technician, Al-Muzhailif General Hospital,
Ali Hussein Ahmed Al-Zubaidi
laboratory technician, Al-Muzhailif Health Center
Sultan Mohammed Ahmad Asiri
Emergency medical services, Al-Muzhailif Health Center,
Majed Ahmad Al-zobidi
pharmaceutical Technician, Al-Muzhailif General Hospital,
majed Bakheet alsafri
pharmaceutical Technician, Al-muzhailif General Hospital,
mohsen hassan altobige
Epidemiology technician, Management of disease vectors and co-morbidities
Saleh ibrahim alhaythmy
Al Qunfudhah General Hospital, Salhaythmami radiology technician
essam abdulaziz ealnuayri
Public health specialist, Health monitoring centers at King Abdulaziz Airport
Fahad dakelallh alqurashi
Alqunfudah general hospital, XRay technician falqurashi
Omar abdullah bawhab
Alqunfudah general hospital, Xray technician