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Published on: December 15, 2023

Household survey of hepatitis B vaccine coverage among Brazilian children

Expedito J A Luna1, Maria Amélia S M Veras, Brendan Flannery

  • 1Tropical Medicine Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. eluna@usp.br

Vaccine
|July 21, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis B vaccine coverage in Brazil is high, but birth dose uptake needs improvement. Combining hepatitis B vaccine with other antigens could enhance protection against this disease.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Vaccinology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Hepatitis B remains a significant global health concern.
  • Brazil's national immunization program includes a three-dose hepatitis B vaccine schedule.
  • Effective vaccine coverage is crucial for disease prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess hepatitis B vaccine coverage among children aged 18-30 months in Brazil.
  • To identify areas for improvement in hepatitis B vaccination strategies.

Main Methods:

  • A multi-stage household cluster survey was conducted.
  • Data collected from 17,749 children across 27 Brazilian cities.
  • Vaccine coverage calculated for birth dose, at least one dose, and complete series.

Main Results:

  • 94.8% of children received at least one dose of the hepatitis B vaccine.
  • 86.7% completed the three-dose series by 12 months of age.
  • Only 40.2% received the birth dose within 24 hours of birth.

Conclusions:

  • While overall hepatitis B vaccine coverage is substantial, timely birth dose administration requires enhancement.
  • Combining hepatitis B vaccine with diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-Haemophilus influenzae type b antigens may improve protection.
  • Strategies to increase birth dose uptake are recommended.

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