Future Healthcare Workers and Hepatitis B Vaccination: A New Generation

Andrea Trevisan, Paola Mason, Annamaria Nicolli, Stefano Maso, Marco Fonzo, Bruno Scarpa and Chiara Bertoncello
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Andrea Trevisan: Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy
Paola Mason: Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy
Annamaria Nicolli: Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy
Stefano Maso: Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy
Marco Fonzo: Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy
Bruno Scarpa: Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
Chiara Bertoncello: Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-9

Abstract: Before the introduction of universal vaccination, hepatitis B caused high morbidity and mortality, especially among healthcare workers. In the present study, the immune status against hepatitis B was assessed in a cohort of 11,188 students of the degree courses of the School of Medicine of the University of Padua (Italy) who had been subjected to mandatory vaccination in childhood or adolescence and who will be future healthcare workers. The variables that influence the antibody response to vaccination are mainly the age at which the vaccine was administered and sex. If vaccination was administered before one year of age, there is a high probability (around 50%) of having an antibody titer lower than 10 IU/L compared to those vaccinated after one year of age (12.8%). The time between vaccine and analysis is not decisive. Furthermore, female sex, but only if vaccination was administered after one year of age, shows a significant ( p = 0.0008) lower percentage of anti-HBs below 10 IU/L and a greater antibody titer ( p < 0.0001). In conclusion, the differences related to the age of vaccination induce more doubts than answers. The only plausible hypothesis, in addition to the different immune responses (innate and adaptive), is the type of vaccine. This is not easy to verify because vaccination certificates rarely report it.

Keywords: hepatitis B vaccination; healthcare workers; students; antibody titer; age at vaccination (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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