Sex Disparity in Response to Hepatitis B Vaccine Related to the Age of Vaccination

Andrea Trevisan, Alessandro Giuliani, Maria Luisa Scapellato, Simona Anticoli, Rita Carsetti, Salvatore Zaffina, Rita Brugaletta, Nicoletta Vonesch, Paola Tomao and Anna Ruggieri
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Andrea Trevisan: Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
Alessandro Giuliani: Environment and Health Department, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
Maria Luisa Scapellato: Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
Simona Anticoli: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Center for Gender Specific Medicine, 00161 Rome, Italy
Rita Carsetti: Diagnostic Immunology Unit, Department of Laboratories and B cell Pathophysiology Unit, Immunology Research Area, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy
Salvatore Zaffina: Occupational Medicine, Health Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy
Rita Brugaletta: Occupational Medicine, Health Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy
Nicoletta Vonesch: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Italian National Workers Compensation Authority, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
Paola Tomao: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Italian National Workers Compensation Authority, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
Anna Ruggieri: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Center for Gender Specific Medicine, 00161 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major infectious hazards for health-care workers (HCWs) because of the frequency of percutaneous exposures to blood or body fluids. For this reason, all HCWs should be vaccinated, including students in medicine and health professional degree programs. The aim of this study was to assess the immune coverage to anti-HBV vaccine and long-lasting protective titres of anti-HBs antibodies in female and male students to evaluate gender-related differences in response to HBV vaccination. Data relative to anti-HBs antibody titre, sex, age, and age at vaccination were collected and analyzed from 5291 Italian students (1812 males and 3479 females) of the graduate courses at the School of Medicine, who underwent the mandatory health surveillance of workers exposed to biological risk. The results indicated that gender affects the immune response to HBV vaccine, particularly evident in the case of females vaccinated after one year of age who exhibited a statistically significant ( p = 0.0023) 1.21-fold increase in median antibody titre with respect to males. Our findings could contribute to the optimization of HBV vaccination schedules in health surveillance of HCWs.

Keywords: hepatitis B; vaccine; HBs-antibodies; health care workers; sex; gender (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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