Protective Antibody Titer against Hepatitis B in Healthcare Workers: A Cross-sectional Study from Tertiary Care Hospital of Kashmir

Abstract

Introduction: Hepatitis B is not only the most transmissible blood borne viral infection, but also the only one that is preventable by vaccination. In developing countries, Hepatitis B vaccination coverage among Healthcare Workers (HCWs) is very low for various reasons. Aim: To evaluate Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) immunisation status and Hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) titer among HCWs in a tertiary care hospital in Kashmir. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Srinagar, India from April 2019 to June 2019. Serum samples were collected from 196 HCWs and their vaccination history was collected. Those who had taken all three doses of hepatitis B were considered to be fully vaccinated those that had taken two doses as partially vaccinated. Triple serology was done for all which included testing for HBV, Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, one HCW turned out to be Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) positive and was dropped out of study. Those negative (195/196) were further tested for anti-HBs titer by enzyme immunoassay method. Parametric data are expressed as mean±Standard Deviation (SD) and categorical values as percentages. Results: Out of 195 HCWs selected for the study, 112 (57.4%) were males and 84 (43%) were females with mean age 38.4±6.9 years. Among them fully vaccinated were 46 (23.5%), partially vaccinated were 84 (43.07%) and not vaccinated were 65 (33.33%). Anti-HBs titers were protective in 54 (27.7%) which belonged 81.5% (44/54) to vaccinated category and 18.5% (10/54) to partially vaccinated category. Conclusion: Fully vaccinated HCWs (95.6%) had a protective antibody titer but unfortunately there are low vaccination rates among HCWs. There is a need for well-planned and clear policies for HBV screening and vaccination in HCWs, especially those who are at a greater risk of exposure to blood or other potentially infectious material.