SHORT REPORT: Hepatitis B vaccination for healthcare personnel in American Samoa: pre-implementation survey for policy decision

American Samoa does not have a hepatitis B vaccination policy for healthcare personnel (HCP). Consequently, hepatitis B has remained a health threat to HCP. In this study, we performed a cross-sectional study and examined demographic and risk information and hepatitis B vaccination, testing, and ser...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEpidemiology and infection Vol. 142; no. 12; pp. 2610 - 2615
Main Authors LY, K. N., ROBERTS, H., WILLIAMS, R. E., MASUNU-FALEAFAGA, Y., DROBENIUC, J., KAMILI, S., TESHALE, E. H.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge University Press 01.12.2014
Subjects
Dosage
Epidemiology
Health care industry
Hepatitis
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B vaccines
Hepatitis B virus
Infections
Needlestick injuries
Patient care
Preventive medicine
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Summary:American Samoa does not have a hepatitis B vaccination policy for healthcare personnel (HCP). Consequently, hepatitis B has remained a health threat to HCP. In this study, we performed a cross-sectional study and examined demographic and risk information and hepatitis B vaccination, testing, and serostatus in hospital employees in American Samoa. Of 604 hospital employees, 231 (38·2%) participated, and of these, 158 (68·4%) were HCP. Of HCP participants, 1·9% had chronic hepatitis B infection, 36·1% were susceptible, and 60·8% were immune. Nearly half of HCP participants reported history of needlestick injury. Overall, participants' knowledge of their hepatitis B infection and vaccination status was low. These data support the adoption of a hepatitis B vaccination policy for HCP by American Samoa, as currently recommended by the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adherence to the policy could be monitored as a way to measure protection.
ISSN:0950-2688
1469-4409