The HBV seroprevalence and immune responses to hepatitis B vaccination among college students from four universities in China

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 61; p. 127408
• Main Authors: Song, Yarong, Feng, Yongliang, Jiang, Feng, Xu, Xingyan, Yang, Peijuan, Liu, Minmin, Li, Lili, Du, Chaobi, Li, Huangyuan, Li, Qiong, Qiao, Jinge, Shi, Jing, Yang, Le, Yao, Tian, Zhang, Gongyuan, Wang, Jie, Li, Jie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 13.08.2025; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age groups; Allergy and Immunology; China - epidemiology; College students; Colleges & universities; Female; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B - epidemiology; Hepatitis B - immunology; Hepatitis B - prevention & control; Hepatitis B Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis B surface antibody; Hepatitis B surface antigen; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - blood; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - immunology; Hepatitis B vaccination; Hepatitis B Vaccines - administration & dosage; Hepatitis B Vaccines - immunology; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B virus - immunology; Humans; Immune response; Immunization; Infections; Male; Neonates; Public health; Reagents; Risk groups; Seroconversion; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serology; Students; Universities; Vaccination; Vaccines; Young Adult; China; United States > US; Chicago Illinois; LOD; Anti-HBs; Hepatitis B vaccination; HBsAg; CHO; Hepatitis B surface antibody; Anti-HBc; College students; RLU; Hepatitis B virus; CHB; HBV; EPI; WHO; chronic hepatitis B; hepatitis B core antibody; World Health Organization; hepatitis B surface antigen; relative light unit; Chinese Hamster Ovary; lower limit of detection; Expanded Program on Immunization
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127408

People without effective immunization are vulnerable to infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV). At present, there is no appropriate hepatitis B vaccination strategy for HBV-susceptible adults. We aim to assess the long-term effect of neonatal hepatitis B immunization and HBV markers among college students, so as to explore hepatitis B vaccination strategies suitable for high-risk group. The enrolled freshmen from four universities were initially tested for hepatitis B screening using colloidal gold test strips. Subjects with positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or negative hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) were further confirmed using Abbott reagents. HBsAg and anti-HBs double negative individuals were administered hepatitis B vaccination. Using Abbott reagents, we confirmed that among 3242 enrolled freshmen, 1604 (49.5 %) were negative for both HBsAg and anti-HBs, and 27 (0.8 %) were HBsAg-positive. Among the double negative freshmen, 1263 received hepatitis B vaccination. After the first and second dose of hepatitis B vaccine, the protective anti-HBs seroconversion rates reached 91.4 % and 98.5 %, respectively. Only one (0.1 %) freshman was still negative for anti-HBs after the third dose of hepatitis B vaccine. In addition, 96.3 % (104/108) of the fresmen who failed to achieve protective anti-HBs seroconversion after the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine had a baseline anti-HBs level < 2 mIU/mL. The HBsAg prevalence among college students has been significantly reduced after the integration of hepatitis B vaccine into Expanded Program on Immunization, but the rate of seroprotective anti-HBs among these students remains low. Hepatitis B vaccination or booster dose is advised for a high-risk group who have negative anti-HBs, and two doses of hepatitis B vaccine are advised for those with anti-HBs < 2 mIU/mL.