Faithful Miebaka Daniel, Bonaventure Michael Ukoaka, Victoria Ezinne Emeruwa, Rosette Chidera Oti-Ashong, Gabriel Oluwafemi Falaiye
{"title":"Addressing vaccination gaps among healthcare workers in sub-Saharan Africa: the role of mandatory Hepatitis B vaccination.","authors":"Faithful Miebaka Daniel, Bonaventure Michael Ukoaka, Victoria Ezinne Emeruwa, Rosette Chidera Oti-Ashong, Gabriel Oluwafemi Falaiye","doi":"10.1186/s41182-024-00652-x","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hepatitis B virus (HBV) poses a significant public health threat, particularly in developing countries with high endemicity but poor vaccination among healthcare workers (HCWs). Needlestick injuries increase HCWs' risk, yet only about 42% of HCWs are fully vaccinated compared to 97% in high-income countries. Challenges to vaccine uptake include availability, demanding schedules with frequent unit rotations hindering access, high cost of acquiring shots, and stock shortages resulting in missed opportunities. Mandatory, cost-free HBV vaccinations for HCWs, supported by legislation, international aid, and digital reminders, could ensure self-protection and safety while contributing to the global objective of eradicating HBV by 2030.</p>","PeriodicalId":23311,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Medicine and Health","volume":"52 1","pages":"80"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11539766/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Tropical Medicine and Health","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-024-00652-x","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"TROPICAL MEDICINE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) poses a significant public health threat, particularly in developing countries with high endemicity but poor vaccination among healthcare workers (HCWs). Needlestick injuries increase HCWs' risk, yet only about 42% of HCWs are fully vaccinated compared to 97% in high-income countries. Challenges to vaccine uptake include availability, demanding schedules with frequent unit rotations hindering access, high cost of acquiring shots, and stock shortages resulting in missed opportunities. Mandatory, cost-free HBV vaccinations for HCWs, supported by legislation, international aid, and digital reminders, could ensure self-protection and safety while contributing to the global objective of eradicating HBV by 2030.