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Hepatitis B vaccination status in an at-risk adult population: long-term immunity but insufficient coverage

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Abstract

In France, hepatitis B (HB) vaccine has been offered to all infants since 1994, and was proposed to all children aged 11 years from 1994 to 1998. Nevertheless, HB vaccine hesitancy may result in low vaccination coverage in present-day at-risk adults. We aimed to determine HB vaccination coverage in adults attending a free testing center for sexually transmitted infections (STI). As part of routine care, three classes of data were anonymously collected from attendees over a 3-month period: results of HB serologic tests; date and number of past anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) immunization(s) (if any) according to health records; and the risk of STI and blood-transmitted infections (BTI). The study included 735 participants (age 27.9 ± 9.2; 59.9% men). According to available health records (341 participants), 56.6% had received at least three and 67.2% at least one vaccine injection(s); 57.7% had received their last injection between 1994 and 1998, reflecting the strong vaccine policy during these years. Serologic testing (in 705 participants) showed evidence of a past or active HBV infection for 33 participants; of the remaining patients, 55.3% had anti-HBs antibody titers ≥10 IU/L. This rate was not higher in participants considered at risk for STI/BTI. Of the participants who received their last vaccine injection more than 15 years previously, 90.5% had anti-HBs antibody concentrations ≥10 and 60.3% ≥100 IU/mL. HB vaccination coverage is low in this population. Most of the vaccinated participants were immunized between 1994 and 1998, suggesting a failure of catch-up immunization of adolescents and at-risk adults. Long-term seroprotection persisted among vaccinated participants.

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Abbreviations

BTI:

Blood-transmitted infections

FTC-STI:

Free testing center for sexually transmitted infections

HBV:

Hepatitis B virus

STI:

Sexually transmitted infections

IU:

International units

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Acknowledgements

We thank the head of Grenoble FTC-STI, Dr. Marianne Hauzanneau, for having allowed this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Prospective and Education, Conseil Général de l’Isère, Grenoble, France

    S. Hustache, L. Moyroud & L. Goirand

  2. Free testing center for sexually transmitted infections (CEGIDD), Conseil Général de l’Isère, Grenoble, France

    L. Moyroud & O. Epaulard

  3. Infectious Disease Unit, University Hospital, Grenoble, France

    O. Epaulard

  4. Team “HIV and persistent viral infections”, Institut de Biologie Structurale UMR 5075 CEA-CNRS-UGA, Grenoble, France

    O. Epaulard

  5. Fédération d’Infectiologie Multidisciplinaire de l’Arc Alpin, Faculté de Médecine, Université Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France

    O. Epaulard

Authors
  1. S. Hustache
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  2. L. Moyroud
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  3. L. Goirand
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  4. O. Epaulard
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to O. Epaulard.

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Funding

No funds were received for this study.

Conflict of interest

None to declare.

Ethical approval

We did not seek approval from an ethical authority as the study relied entirely on anonymous procedures that are performed in our center as part of the routine care for every attendant: checking of health records, hepatitis B serologic tests, and assessment of risk for sexually/blood-transmitted infection (and were not performed purposely for this study). This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed consent

Subjects attend anonymously our free testing center for sexually/blood-transmitted infection. They were informed that a study was ongoing and that it relied on the anonymous collection of health record data, serologic tests, and personal data (age, gender, exposition to sexually/blood-transmitted infection), and that they may refuse to have their data exploited for the study without any consequences.

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Hustache, S., Moyroud, L., Goirand, L. et al. Hepatitis B vaccination status in an at-risk adult population: long-term immunity but insufficient coverage. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 36, 1483–1489 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-017-2957-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-017-2957-0

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