Hepatitis B vaccination and health care workers

Abstract

It is estimated that there are 350 million chronic bearers of hepatitis B all over the world. This high prevalence motivated us to assess how much information is available about this condition. The subjects of this research were 131 healthcare professionals from the Brazilian Dental Association in Rio de Janeiro. A questionnaire was used in order to verify how many of them had immunity acquired through vaccination, how many had already been contaminated by the hepatitis B virus, and how many had been tested for the viral markers. Of those interviewed, 15.5% reported no vaccination. Among the ones who had received the vaccine, 31% had not completed the three doses, and 56.2% had not yet been submitted to the serological test. This study concludes that it is necessary to continuously instruct about the forms of contamination, transmission and prevention of hepatitis B, as well as about the importance of the viral markers exam.