Hepatitis B Vaccination Coverage and Knowledge among Healthcare Workers at a Tertiary Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Background: Healthcare workers in tertiary hospital are at the risk of exposure and possible transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This infection is a major and important occupational hazard among health care workers (HCWs), it is may be 2–10 times higher than in the general population.

Objectives: To detect the hepatitis B vaccination coverage and the level of knowledge among HCWs.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on a representative sample of health care workers randomly selected from a tertiary hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia through stratified random sampling.

Results: vaccination coverage among study group was 63.3%. Complete HBV vaccination was significantly associated with age, duration of work and profession (p=0.002, 0.038 and 0.049, respectively). Our predictors of complete vaccination coverage were age above 30 years (OR= 2.164; 95% CI: 0.678 -3.907), profession [dentists (OR= 2.89; 95% CI: 0.96 -6.71) and lab technicians (OR= 3.09; 95% CI: 0.95-8.00)] and those who had positive perception towards HBV vaccine (OR= 2.52; 95% CI: 1.57- 4.05) and good knowledge about HBV vaccine (OR= 1.84; 95% CI: 1.14- 2.95).

Conclusion: HBV vaccination coverage among HCWs was low and they had lack of knowledge although they had good awareness about the vaccine. So we recommend to increasing the vaccine coverage through training and the educational program must be given to HCWs about HBV vaccine and the necessity of following the HBV vaccine course. Enforcement makes a valid certificate that the HCW can keep for employment. Furthermore a policy of mandatory hepatitis B surface antigen screening is important. Different communication and discussion about beliefs and fear is effective.