Hepatitis B Vaccination Coverage and Knowledge among Healthcare Workers at a Tertiary Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Amal A. Hegazy *
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Department of Community and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine (For Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
Hussain Mohammed Albar
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Nusaybah Hussain Albar
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Healthcare workers in tertiary hospital are at the risk of exposure and possible transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This infection is a major and important occupational hazard among health care workers (HCWs), it is may be 2–10 times higher than in the general population.
Objectives: To detect the hepatitis B vaccination coverage and the level of knowledge among HCWs.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on a representative sample of health care workers randomly selected from a tertiary hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia through stratified random sampling.
Results: vaccination coverage among study group was 63.3%. Complete HBV vaccination was significantly associated with age, duration of work and profession (p=0.002, 0.038 and 0.049, respectively). Our predictors of complete vaccination coverage were age above 30 years (OR= 2.164; 95% CI: 0.678 -3.907), profession [dentists (OR= 2.89; 95% CI: 0.96 -6.71) and lab technicians (OR= 3.09; 95% CI: 0.95-8.00)] and those who had positive perception towards HBV vaccine (OR= 2.52; 95% CI: 1.57- 4.05) and good knowledge about HBV vaccine (OR= 1.84; 95% CI: 1.14- 2.95).
Conclusion: HBV vaccination coverage among HCWs was low and they had lack of knowledge although they had good awareness about the vaccine. So we recommend to increasing the vaccine coverage through training and the educational program must be given to HCWs about HBV vaccine and the necessity of following the HBV vaccine course. Enforcement makes a valid certificate that the HCW can keep for employment. Furthermore a policy of mandatory hepatitis B surface antigen screening is important. Different communication and discussion about beliefs and fear is effective.
Keywords: Healthcare worker, Hepatitis B vaccine, knowledge, perception, HBV