Assessment of Immunization to Hepatitis B Vaccine among Children under Five Years in Rural Areas of Taiz, Yemen

Abstract

Background . Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection poses a major health problem worldwide. approximately 1 million deaths annually due to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Objectives . This study was conducted to determine the coverage rate of HBV vaccine and assess the vaccine protective response among children under five years old in rural areas of Yemen. Methods . A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December 2015 in four districts of countryside Yemen. The target population was children aged from 6 to 59 months. 227 children were enrolled in the study. Questionnaire was used to collect of data. Serum samples were tested for anti-HBs antibodies by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anti-HBs level ≥ 10 IU/L was considered a protective response to the vaccine. Results . The coverage rate of HBV vaccine among children was 87.3%. A total of 143 (72.2%) children responded to the vaccine with anti-HBs level ≥ 10 IU/L, while 55 (27.8%) of the children had nonprotective anti-HBs levels of <10 IU/L ( P = 0.003). Conclusion . This study revealed a good coverage rate of HBV vaccine in rural areas but the protective rate against HBV infection was moderate. A considerable proportion of vaccinated children should be considered for either revaccination or booster doses.