Increasing hepatitis B vaccination coverage among healthcare workers in Italy 10 years apart

Abstract

Background In Italy, vaccination against hepatitis B virus infection was strongly recommended for healthcare workers since 1985. Update findings on vaccination coverage are lacking. Aim To assess current vaccination coverage against hepatitis B in this job category. Methods In 2006, 1632 healthcare workers randomly selected in 15 Italian public hospitals completed a self-administered precoded questionnaire. Results The overall vaccination coverage was 85.3%, a figure higher than the 64.5% observed in 1996. Vaccine coverage showed a significant downtrend ( p < 0.01) from the Northern (93.1%) to the Southern (77.7%) areas. Logistic regression analysis showed that residence in the North (Odds ratio 4.2; 95% confidence interval 2.6–6.7) and youngest age (Odds ratio 4.5; 95% confidence interval 2.6–7.8), both were independent predictors of vaccine acceptance. Conclusions Ten years apart, vaccine coverage has markedly increased, closely paralleling the downtrend in the incidence of acute B hepatitis among healthcare workers in Italy.