Perinatal hepatitis B prevention program in Shandong Province, China. Evaluation and progress

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Immunology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Hepatitis B virus (HBV) poses a significant risk for perinatal transmission.
• The World Health Organization recommends hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) for all infants within 24 hours of birth.
• Hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) alongside HepB enhances protection for infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the implementation progress of HepB birth dose and HBIG in Shandong Province, China.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions in preventing perinatal HBV transmission.
• To identify barriers and areas for improvement in the vaccination program.

Main Methods:

• Utilized hospital-based reporting data from Shandong Province, China.
• Analyzed trends in maternal screening for HBsAg.
• Tracked HepB birth dose coverage (within 24 hours) and HBIG coverage for infants of HBsAg-positive mothers.

Main Results:

• Maternal screening increased from 70.7% to 96.9% (2004-2012).
• HepB birth dose coverage remained high (96.3-97.1%).
• HBIG coverage for at-risk infants increased from 85.0% to 92.1% after July 2011, but remained lower (81.1%) in western Shandong.

Conclusions:

• HepB birth dose and HBIG integration has improved perinatal HBV prevention in Shandong.
• Consistent high coverage of HepB birth dose is achieved.
• Further efforts are needed to improve HBIG coverage, particularly in western Shandong, and address delays in HepB administration.