Resumo

GARCIA C., PATRICIA et al. IMMUNE RESPONSE TO HEPATITIS B VACCINE IN HEALTH-CARE WORKERS. Rev. chil. infectol. [online]. 2002, vol.19, n.3, pp. 133-139. ISSN 0716-1018.  doi: 10.4067/S0716-10182002000300001.

Hepatitis B is an infection, which can carry long-term serious health consequences, being the health-care workers a group in risk of acquiring it. There are safe and effective vaccines currently in use, although there is a percentage on non-responders. With the objective of evaluating the immunogenicity of a recombinant vaccine, health-care workers in high and moderate risk groups of acquiring this infection were vaccinated. Quantitative levels of antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigen (anti HBs) were measured after 6 months of the vaccination. The group included 351 women and 134 men, being the average 35.8 years. In this group 409 workers had levels of anti HBs over 100 mUI/ml (84.3), 55 in between 10 and 99 mUI/ml (11.3%) and 21 under 10 mUI/ml (4.3%). Studing these three groups by multivaried analysis we found that the anti HBs were lower, if the age was higher (p < 0.01). These was no association with gender or corporal mass index. These results show that the immunogenicity or the recombinant vaccine is effective because 95.7% of the vaccinated people had protective levels of anti-HBs and only 4.3% required a booster dose. It is important to consider the age of the population when designing plans for prevention of hepatitis B infection

Palavras-chave : Hepatitis B; Vaccination; Health care workers; Recombinant vaccine.