Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

LIVE: Thursday 2nd May 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)

Quality sleep is essential for health. But what happens to our brains when sleep patterns are disturbed? Join our experts to explore the interplay between sleep disruption and neurological diseases, and the questions that you need to be asking your patients to help you prevent the harmful effects of sleep deprivation.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Progress in vaccination towards hepatitis B control and elimination in the Region of the Americas

Authors: Alba Maria Ropero Álvarez, Silvia Pérez-Vilar, Carmelita Pacis-Tirso, Marcela Contreras, Nathalie El Omeiri, Cuauhtémoc Ruiz-Matus, Martha Velandia-González

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2017

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Over recent decades, the Region of the Americas has made significant progress towards hepatitis B elimination. We summarize the countries/territories’ efforts in introducing and implementing hepatitis B (HB) vaccination and in evaluating its impact on HB virus seroprevalence.

Methods

We collected information about HB vaccination schedules, coverage estimates, and year of vaccine introduction from countries/territories reporting to the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) through the WHO/UNICEF Joint Reporting Form on Immunization. We obtained additional information regarding countries/territories vaccination recommendations and strategies through communications with Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) managers and national immunization survey reports. We identified vaccine impact studies conducted and published in the Americas.

Results

As of October 2016, all 51 countries/territories have included infant HB vaccination in their official immunization schedule. Twenty countries, whose populations represent over 90% of the Region’s births, have included nationwide newborn HB vaccination. We estimated at 89% and 75%, the regional three-dose series and the birth dose HB vaccination coverage, respectively, for 2015. The impact evaluations of infant HB immunization programs in the Region have shown substantial reductions in HB surface antigen (HBsAg) seroprevalence.

Conclusion

The achievements of vaccination programs in the Americas suggest that the elimination of perinatal and early childhood HB transmission could be feasible in the short-term. Moreover, the data gathered indicate that the Region may have already achieved the 2020 WHO goal for HB control.
Literature
1.
Publication WHO. Hepatitis B vaccines: WHO position paper--recommendations. Vaccine. 2010;28:589–90.CrossRef
2.
Lu PJ, Yankey D, Jeyarajah J, et al. Hepatitis B vaccination among adolescents 13-17 years, United States, 2006-2012. Vaccine. 2015;33:1855–64.CrossRefPubMed
3.
Lee C, Gong Y, Brok J, Boxall EH, Gluud C. Hepatitis B immunisation for newborn infants of hepatitis B surface antigen-positive mothers. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;2:CD004790.
4.
5.
6.
Ropero AM, Danovaro-Holliday MC, Andrus JK. Progress in vaccination against hepatitis B in the Americas. J Clin Virol. 2005;34(Suppl 2):S14–9.CrossRefPubMed
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Hennessey K, Mendoza-Aldana J, Bayutas B, Lorenzo-Mariano KM, Diorditsa S. Hepatitis B control in the World Health Organization's Western Pacific region: targets, strategies, status. Vaccine. 2013;31(Suppl 9):J85–92.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Burton A, Monasch R, Lautenbach B, et al. WHO and UNICEF estimates of national infant immunization coverage: methods and processes. Bull World Health Organ. 2009;87:535–41.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
14.
15.
Mahoney FJ, Stewart K, Hu H, Coleman P, Alter MJ. Progress toward the elimination of hepatitis B virus transmission among health care workers in the United States. Arch Intern Med. 1997;157:2601–5.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Flores-Sanchez L, Paredes-Solis S, Balanzar-Martinez A, Flores-Moreno M, Legorreta-Soberanis J, Andersson N. Hepatitis B vaccination coverage and associated factor for vaccine acceptance: a cross-sectional study in health workers of the Acapulco general hospital, Mexico. Gac Med Mex. 2014;150:395–402.PubMed
17.
Morales-Aguirre JJ. Frecuencia y mecanismos de exposición accidental a productos biológicos potencialmente infecciosos en personal de salud. Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex. 2006;63:247–54.
18.
Sanches GBSHM, Pontes ER, Aguiar JI, Ivo ML. Caracterização soroepidemiológica da infecção do vírus da hepatite B em profissionais de saúde da atenção básica no Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. Rev Panam Infectol. 2008;10:17–22.
19.
Garcia LP, Facchini LA. Hepatitis B vaccination among primary health care workers. Cad Saude Publica. 2008;24:1130–40.CrossRefPubMed
20.
da Costa FM, de Barros Lima Martins AM, Dos Santos Neto PE, de Pinho Veloso DN, Magalhaes VS, Ferreira RC. Is vaccination against hepatitis B a reality among primary health care workers? Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2013;21:316–24.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Coppola N, De Pascalis S, Onorato L, Calo F, Sagnelli C, Sagnelli E. Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection in healthcare workers. World J Hepatol. 2016;8:273–81.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
22.
23.
World Health Organization. Mass vaccination of health workers in Peru. Bull World Health Organ. 2009;87:733–804.CrossRef
24.
Martins S, Livramento A, Andrigueti M, et al. Vaccination coverage and immunity against hepatitis B among HIV-infected patients in South Brazil. Braz J Infect Dis. 2015;19:181–6.CrossRefPubMed
25.
da Silva LN, da Silva Franca DD, Del-Rio NH, et al. Low prevalence, low immunization and low adherence to full hepatitis B vaccine scheme and high-risk behaviors among crack cocaine users in central Brazil. J Infect Public Health. 2016;10:76.CrossRefPubMed
26.
Williams WW, Lu PJ, O'Halloran A, et al. Surveillance of vaccination coverage among adult populations - United States, 2014. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2016;65:1–36.CrossRefPubMed
27.
Cabezas C, Ramos F, Vega M, et al. Impact of the immunization program integrated to the expanded immunization program(Epi) in Huanta,1994-1997. Rev Gastroenterol Peru. 2000;20:201–12.PubMed
28.
Cabezas-Sanchez C, Trujillo-Villarroel O, Zavaleta-Cortijo C, et al. Prevalence of hepatitis B infection in children under 5 years old on indigenous communities of the Peruvian Amazonia after immunization interventions. Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica. 2014;31:204–10.PubMed
29.
Braga WS, Castilho Mda C, Borges FG, et al. Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection and carriage after nineteen years of vaccination program in the Western Brazilian Amazon. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2012;45:13–7.CrossRefPubMed
30.
Ximenes RA, Figueiredo GM, Cardoso MR, et al. Population-based Multicentric survey of hepatitis B infection and risk factors in the north, South, and southeast regions of Brazil, 10-20 years after the beginning of vaccination. AmJTrop Med Hyg. 2015;93:1341–8.CrossRef
31.
de la Hoz F, Perez L, de Neira M, Hall AJ. Eight years of hepatitis B vaccination in Colombia with a recombinant vaccine: factors influencing hepatitis B virus infection and effectiveness. Int J Infect Dis. 2008;12:183–9.CrossRefPubMed
32.
Harpaz R, McMahon BJ, Margolis HS, et al. Elimination of new chronic hepatitis B virus infections: results of the Alaska immunization program. J Infect Dis. 2000;181:413–8.CrossRefPubMed
33.
Perz JF, Elm Jr JL, Fiore AE, Huggler JI, Kuhnert WL, Effler PV. Near elimination of hepatitis B virus infections among Hawaii elementary school children after universal infant hepatitis B vaccination. Pediatrics. 2006;118:1403–8.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Wasley A, Kruszon-Moran D, Kuhnert W, et al. The prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in the United States in the era of vaccination. J Infect Dis. 2010;202:192–201.CrossRefPubMed
35.
Masuet-Aumatell C, Ramon-Torrell JM, Casanova-Rituerto A, Banque-Navarro M, Davalos-Gamboa Mdel R, Rodriguez SL. Seroprevalence of hepatitis B in two period birth cohorts of Bolivian children: effect of universal vaccination. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2013;107:578–83.CrossRefPubMed
36.
Porgo TV, Gilca V, De Serres G, Tremblay M, Skowronski D. Dramatic reduction in hepatitis B through school-based immunization without a routine infant program in a low endemicity region. BMC Infect Dis. 2015;15:227.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
37.
Patrick DM, Bigham M, Ng H, White R, Tweed A, Skowronski DM. Elimination of acute hepatitis B among adolescents after one decade of an immunization program targeting grade 6 students. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2003;22:874–7.CrossRefPubMed
38.
Ott JJ, Stevens GA, Groeger J, Wiersma ST. Global epidemiology of hepatitis B virus infection: new estimates of age-specific HBsAg seroprevalence and endemicity. Vaccine. 2012;30:2212–9.CrossRefPubMed
39.
40.
41.
Schweitzer A, Horn J, Mikolajczyk RT, Krause G, Ott JJ. Estimations of worldwide prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus infection: a systematic review of data published between 1965 and 2013. Lancet. 2015;386:1546–55.CrossRefPubMed
42.
Allison RD, Teleb N, Al Awaidy S, Ashmony H, Alexander JP, Patel MK. Hepatitis B control among children in the eastern Mediterranean region of the World Health Organization. Vaccine. 2016;34:2403–9.CrossRefPubMed
43.
Wiesen E, Diorditsa S, Li X. Progress towards hepatitis B prevention through vaccination in the Western Pacific, 1990-2014. Vaccine. 2016;34:2855–62.CrossRefPubMed
44.
Franco E, Bagnato B, Marino MG, Meleleo C, Serino L, Zaratti L. Hepatitis B epidemiology and prevention in developing countries. World J Hepatol. 2012;4:74–80.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
45.
Izurieta H, Venczel L, Dietz V, et al. Monitoring measles eradication in the region of the Americas: critical activities and tools. J Infect Dis. 2003;187(Suppl 1):S133–9.CrossRefPubMed
46.
Pan American Health Organization Peru. Informe Técnico: Estado de salud y nutrición de los niños menores de 5 años pertenecientes a las poblaciones indígenas y no indígenas de Bagua y Condorcanqui en la región Amazonas 20122014.
47.
Pan American Health Organization. Elimination of Mother-To-Child transmission of HIV and Syphilis in the Americas. Update 20152015.
48.
Choconta-Piraquive LA, De la Hoz-Restrepo F, Sarmiento-Limas CA. Compliance with birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine in high endemic and hard to reach areas in the Colombian amazon: results from a vaccination survey. BMC Health Serv Res. 2016;16:293.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
Metadata
Title
Progress in vaccination towards hepatitis B control and elimination in the Region of the Americas
Authors
Alba Maria Ropero Álvarez
Silvia Pérez-Vilar
Carmelita Pacis-Tirso
Marcela Contreras
Nathalie El Omeiri
Cuauhtémoc Ruiz-Matus
Martha Velandia-González
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4227-6

Other articles of this Issue 1/2017

BMC Public Health 1/2017 Go to the issue

Research article

Perceptions of activity-supportive environment and motorcycle use among urban Taiwanese adults

Study protocol

Kā-HOLO Project: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a native cultural dance program for cardiovascular disease prevention in Native Hawaiians

Research article

The comprehensive ‘Communicate to Vaccinate’ taxonomy of communication interventions for childhood vaccination in routine and campaign contexts

Erratum

Erratum to: A mixed methods feasibility study of nicotine-assisted smoking reduction programmes delivered by community pharmacists – The RedPharm study

Research article

Evaluation of the implementation of an intervention to improve the street environment and promote walking for transport in deprived neighbourhoods

Research article

Assessing junk food consumption among Australian children: trends and associated characteristics from a cross-sectional study