Hepatitis B Immunization in Health Care Workers: Needs and Opportunities

The aim of the study carried out by alavian et al. (2011) is to determine anti-hbs antibody titer in dental health providers and to investigate the possible correlation between the level of immunity and a number of relevant factors (1). hepatitis b virus (hbv) is still the major cause of infection in most parts of the world and therefore is a serious global public health problem. about 2 billion people worldwide have been infected with the virus, and about 350 million live with chronic infection (2). hbv is transmitted primarily through blood and sexual routes, similar to hiv and hepatitis c virus (hcv) (3-5). furthermore, hbv is an occupational hazard for health workers (2), who might be discouraged to work for infected patients. according to the recommendations of the word health organization (who), all infants should receive their first dose of the hepatitis b vaccine immediately after birth, preferably within 24 hours. this is crucial not only in areas in which hepatitis b is highly prevalent, but also important in intermediate- and low-prevalent areas. delivery of hepatitis b vaccine within 24 hours of birth should be a performance measure in all immunization programmes. the necessity to vaccinate older age groups, including adolescents and adults, is determined by the baseline epidemiology of hbv infection in the country (4). the disease has been preventable with a safe and effective vaccine since 1982 (2). as of 2008, hepatitis b vaccine has been incorporated in 177 countries’ national infant immunization programs, and about 69% of the 2008 birth cohort received all three doses of the vaccine (6).