Hepatitis B vaccine coverage among health care workers in Malaysia

Abstract number: 1134_01_214

Sekawi Z., Rashwan H., Mohamed-Eusoff T., Adnan A., Isahak I.

Due to the nature of work, health care workers (HCW) are at great risk of acquiring blood borne infections such as hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus from patients. Universal Precautions Policy guidelines were introduced more than a decade ago to minimise exposure to diseases spread by blood and certain body fluids. This study looked into one of the aspects of hepatitis B prevention among HCW in Malaysian context.

Objective:  

To assess hepatitis B vaccine coverage among HCW working in hospitals in Malaysia.

Methods:  

This is a cross sectional study involving pre-tested questionnaires. The duration of the study is seven months, from February 2001 to August 2001. Hospital staff working in wards or diagnostic laboratories in Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) and Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) as well as Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) undergraduate students undergoing clinical attachments in HUKM were randomly chosen. All subjects volunteered to participate in this study. The hospital staff comprised nurses and medical laboratory technologists while the students included student nurses, medical students, biomedical students and dental students.

Results:  

A total of 625 subjects were enrolled and only 58.4% had taken a complete hepatitis B vaccination. Majority of the last dose taken by subjects was less than five years ago. However, 82.2% have taken at least one dose of the hepatitis B vaccine and are supposed to complete the schedule in due course. About 17.8% HCW never received hepatitis B vaccination with the most number from HKL (26.6% from the total staff in HKL). Approximately 22% admitted that anti-HBs test was done a month post vaccination giving a desirable response rate of 84.8%.

Conclusion:  

Not all HCW are protected against hepatitis B. Preventing hepatitis B in HCW should be one of the priorities of the hospital management as it is definitely cheaper than managing chronic hepatitis B cases.