Hepatitis B immunity among undergraduate nursing students: A brief report

Health sciences students who report low/equivocal hepatitis B titers may be required to repeat the immunization series, even though the result may not indicate non-immunity.

To describe hepatitis B immunity patterns, this retrospective, descriptive study utilized de-identified vaccination records and anti-HBs titers of three cohorts of sophomore nursing students entering clinical rotations in 2018-2019.

Only 33% of students had initial anti-HBs quantitative serum titer ≥10 mIU/ml, demonstrating immunity. After students with low/equivocal titers (n = 191, 64%) were re-immunized per institution protocol, only 2% (n = 7) were identified as non-responders. Cumulative costs incurred by students for revaccination and repeat titer exceeded $20,000, with a process time of up to 8 months.

While rates of exposure to hepatitis B in acute care settings have steadily declined in the United States, students who go on to practice in community and public health settings have increased risk of exposure. Following best practices in demonstrating hepatitis B immunity, which include a single challenge dose followed by titer 4 weeks later, would decrease per student costs, wait time, and administrative burden associated with documentation and student counseling.