Protection level of anti­hepatitis B vaccine and immunoglobulin in a pediatric Cameroonian population

ABSTRACT

Despite the availability for nearly twenty years of an effective vaccine, hepatitis B remains one of the most frequent viral diseases throughout the world. Mother to child transmission is one of the primary routes of transmission in children. To assess the vaccine response in children born to HBV infected mothers. HBsAg positive consenting mothers registered in the antenatal care (ANC) service database of Centre Hospitalier Dominicain St Martin de Porres, Yaounde were enrolled with their children. Socio demographic char acteristics were collected using a tested questionnaire. The 5 markers of hepatitis B were tested and the quantification of anti HBsAg antibodies was done by indirect ELISA method. The data collected was analyzed using Microsoft excel and Epi info softwares. Out of 5,996 women registered, 143 were identified as HBsAg positive (2.38% prevalence) and none was HBeAg positive. Of these 143 HBsAg positive women, 50 were enrolled in the study. Of the 50 positive mothers, 78 children were included with a mean age ± standard deviation of 2.33±2.86 years. No child was infected with HBV, but all have been exposed to the virus (HBeAb positive). Overall 64 (82.05%) received at birth both anti HBs immunoglobulin (HBIG) and a dose of vaccine, while 14 (17.95%) received only the birth dose of vaccine. 72 (92.31%) children received all three recommended doses of vaccine. Vaccine responders were 62.82% (above 10 IU/ml), while 37.18% of children were non responders; representing a higher risk group if not boosted. The coverage of the anti HBV vaccine in children in this study was 92.31%. The protection level of 62.82% is below the 95% recommended rate by WHO. The factors sustaining this suboptimal protection should be investigated