Vacunación frente a la hepatitis B. Impacto de los programas de vacunación tras 20 años de su utilización en España. ¿Es tiempo de cambios?

Abstract

The highest incidence rate of hepatitisB (HB) in Spain is detected in adults between 20 and 54years old, whereas the incidence in children under 1year old is almost nil. The low prevalence of HB in children under 1year is mainly due to the success of gestational screening strategies for the detection of HBsAg(+) in pregnant women, and vaccination campaigns during childhood. Currently, in Spain, the last dose of the HB included in the national childhood immunization program is administered at 6months of age, although some studies show that delaying the age of the administration of the last dose of HB vaccine and increasing the time between doses, may improve immune memory by offering greater protection against this virus in the adulthood. In this article, the impact of HB vaccination in Spain is reviewed, and other potential vaccination strategies in our environment are discussed, such as extending the interval between doses, and administering the last dose in the second year of life, adapting the valid strategy in Spain to the current epidemiological context in order to reduce the prevalence of HB in adulthood.