Hepatitis B vaccination coverage and associated factors among personnel working in health facilities in Kumasi, Ghana

As part of efforts to reach the elimination target by 2030, the WHO and CDC recommend that all healthcare workers (HCWs) adhere to the 3-dose hepatitis B vaccination schedule to protect themselves against the infection. This study assessed Hepatitis B vaccination coverage and associated factors among personnel working in health facilities in Kumasi, Ghana. A cross-sectional study involving 530 HCWs was conducted in four hospitals in Kumasi from September to November 2023. An investigator-administered questionnaire was employed in gathering participant demographics and other information related to vaccination coverage. IBM SPSS version 26.0 and GraphPad Prism 8.0 were used for analysing the data. Even though, the majority (70.6%) reported having taken at least one dose of the vaccine, only 43.6% were fully vaccinated (≥ 3 doses). More than a quarter (29.4%) had not taken any dose of the HBV vaccine. Close to a quarter (23.6%) had not screened or tested for HBV infection in their lifetime. The Statistically significant variables influencing vaccination status were age, marital status, profession, and status in the hospital. The majority (44.9%) of the participants who have not taken the vaccine reported they do not have a reason for not taking the vaccine and a high proportion (80.1%) were willing to take the vaccine when given for free. To combat the low hepatitis B vaccination coverage among healthcare workers in Kumasi, Ghana, amidst the significant public health threat of HBV infection, comprehensive measures are necessary. These include implementing infection prevention control programmes, enhancing occupational health and safety, and conducting health promotion campaigns in healthcare facilities. Extending and intensifying hepatitis B screening and vaccination initiatives to tertiary institutions and encouraging employers, supervisors, or team leaders to provide these services nationwide are also recommended.

为实现2030年消除目标，世界卫生组织（World Health Organization, WHO）与美国疾病控制与预防中心（Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC）建议所有医护人员（healthcare workers, HCWs）遵循三剂次乙型肝炎疫苗接种方案，以实现自身的感染防护。
本研究针对加纳库马西市卫生机构工作人员的乙型肝炎疫苗接种覆盖率及其相关影响因素展开评估。本研究于2023年9月至11月在库马西市四家医院开展，共纳入530名医护人员参与横断面研究（cross-sectional study）。
研究采用调查员发放问卷的方式，收集研究对象的人口学特征及其他与疫苗接种覆盖率相关的信息；数据分析采用IBM SPSS 26.0版本与GraphPad Prism 8.0软件完成。
尽管70.6%的研究对象报告已接种至少一剂乙型肝炎疫苗，但仅43.6%完成全程接种（≥3剂次）；另有超四分之一（29.4%）的研究对象未接种过任何一剂乙型肝炎病毒（Hepatitis B Virus, HBV）疫苗。近四分之一（23.6%）的研究对象自述从未进行过乙型肝炎病毒感染筛查或检测。对疫苗接种状态存在统计学显著影响的变量包括年龄、婚姻状况、职业以及院内职级。
未接种疫苗的研究对象中，44.9%的人表示未接种无明确原因，且80.1%的未接种者表示若疫苗免费提供则愿意接种。
鉴于乙型肝炎病毒感染对公共健康构成重大威胁，为提升加纳库马西市医护人员的乙型肝炎疫苗接种覆盖率，需采取综合干预措施：包括在医疗卫生机构内落实感染预防与控制计划、强化职业健康安全管理、开展健康促进活动；同时建议将乙型肝炎筛查与疫苗接种项目推广至高等院校，并鼓励雇主、管理者或团队负责人在全国范围内推行此类服务。