Health Care Managers' Role and Challenges in Implementing Hepatitis B Vaccination for Health Care Workers in a...

Health care workers (HCWs) are at increased occupational risk of acquiring blood borne infections like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV. To mitigate this risk, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recommends a three-dose prophylactic Hepatitis B Vaccination at 0,1 and 6 months for all the HCWs, who have not completed their vaccination series. However, there is insufficient baseline data on Hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination coverage among HCWs in tertiary setting, posing challenges to strategic planning and implementation for partially or incompletely vaccinated cohorts. This perspective highlights the critical role of healthcare managers in operationalizing HBV vaccination programs at multiple levels within the tertiary healthcare institution. It discusses the key managerial challenges encountered at the top level that includes: prolonged approval timelines, budgetary constraints, and sustaining the integration with the Universal Immunization Program demand. The challenges at middle level include maintaining updated vaccination records amidst frequent staff turnover; and at the low level: ensuring timely reminders and follow-ups for subsequent vaccine doses. Drawing on real-world experiences, this perspective underscores the importance of coordinated managerial efforts to strengthen vaccine delivery systems and achieve complete HBV vaccination coverage among HCWs.