Change in Rates of HBsAg and Anti-HBs in Şırnak 20 Years After Introduction of Hepatitis B Vaccine into Routine Infant Immunization Program.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to monitor the change in the rate of hepatitis B infections in Şırnak, a province in south-eastern Turkey, and to determine the rate of immunization for hepatitis B in this region after the national immunization program covered hepatitis B.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included patients born in 1998 or after and applied to different outpatient clinics in the province between April 2017 and June 2018. Patients in this study were screened for HBsAg and anti-HBs for various reasons. We analyzed confirmed HBsAg and anti-HBs positive results according to gender, age, and vertical transmission. Anti-HBs-positive patients were divided into four groups according to their ages, and the groups were compared.

RESULTS: Out of 2713 patients, 1530 (56.4%) were male, and the mean age was 12.77 (0-20). Four patients (0.14%) were HBsAg positive, and the anti-HBs positivity rate was 61.22%. The difference was statistically significant when the anti-HBs positivity rate was compared between the age groups ( p <0.001). The highest anti-HBs positivity rate was found in the 0 to 5 age group.

CONCLUSION: There has been a significant decrease in hepatitis B virus infection rates after introducing the hepatitis B vaccine into routine infant immunization programs. The widespread introduction of hepatitis B vaccination should be targeted in Turkey, considering its geographical and sociocultural diversity.