Related Experiment Videos
Integration of hepatitis B vaccination into the expanded programme on immunization in Chonburi and Chiangmai
S Chunsuttiwat1, B A Biggs, J Maynard
1Ministry of Public Health, Thailand.
Insights
Hepatitis B (HB) immunization successfully integrated into Thailand's national program, achieving 90.4% coverage. This significantly reduced chronic carriage of the Hepatitis B virus in young children.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Vaccinology
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Background:
- Hepatitis B (HB) poses a significant global health burden, particularly chronic carriage in children.
- The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) aims to deliver essential vaccines to all children.
- Integrating new vaccines into established programs requires careful evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and impact of introducing Hepatitis B (HB) immunization into the national EPI in Thailand.
- To assess the coverage rates of the HB vaccine within the EPI framework.
- To determine the effect of HB immunization on HBsAg positivity and protective immunity in young children.
Main Methods:
- A four-year evaluation of HB immunization in two Thai provinces.
- Administration of three doses of HB vaccine to 60,980 newborns at 0, 2, and 6 months.
- Pre- and post-intervention serosurveys in children under five years old.
Main Results:
- Overall complete HB immunization coverage reached 90.4%.
- Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity decreased by 85%.
- Protective immunity against Hepatitis B increased by 70%.
Conclusions:
- HB immunization can be successfully integrated into existing EPI programs without compromising coverage of other antigens.
- The program led to a substantial reduction in chronic Hepatitis B virus carriage among preschool-aged children.
- This demonstrates the effectiveness of routine HB vaccination in controlling Hepatitis B infection in a national context.
Abstract:
Hepatitis B (HB) immunization was introduced as part of the expanded programme on immunization (EPI) in two provinces in Thailand and evaluated over a four year period. Three doses of HB vaccine were offered to 60,980 newborns at birth, 2 and 6 months of age. The overall coverage for complete HB immunization was 90.4%. Serosurveys of randomly selected children under the age of 5 years were undertaken before and at the end of the project. Levels of HBsAg positivity were reduced by 85%, and there was a corresponding 70% increase in protective immunity. These findings demonstrate that HB immunization can be successfully integrated into EPI without adverse effect on coverage rates of other antigens, and results in a marked reduction in the rate of chronic carriage of HB virus in preschool age children.