Vaccination coverage and immunity against hepatitis B in public health dentists

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Cléa Adas Saliba Garbin, Ketlin Lara Tosta Vanzo, Suzely Adas Saliba Moimaz, Artênio José Ísper Garbin, Fernando Yamamoto Chiba
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)
• Subjects: Hepatitis B; Vaccination Coverage; Immunization; Dentists; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0534-2018; https://doaj.org/article/3162bab3117a44d2babe830a1ce40292

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Occupational exposure is a major risk factor for hepatitis B (HB) transmission. METHODS: Vaccination coverage and immunity verification from 64 dentists of the Brazilian Unified Health System were investigated. An immunochromatographic method was used to verify immunity against the disease. RESULTS: Overall, 77.77% of participating dentists completed the vaccination schedule; 37.50% had negative anti-HBs test results. Furthermore, 60.93% of participants never underwent anti-HBs tests and 40% did not know how to correctly interpret results. CONCLUSIONS: Numerous dentists were not immune to the disease. Few participants previously performed the test, with many not knowing how to interpret the results.