Hepatitis B Vaccination Status among Health Care Workers in a Tertiary Hospital in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Even though health professionals (HPs) need special consideration for hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination, this is not widely implemented in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to determine the vaccination status of health professionals against hepatitis B virus infection, to identify barriers to vaccination and to identify factors associated with vaccination status.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from June 1 to 15, 2016. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 21. A test of association was done using binary logistic regression and P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: Out of 286 HPs included in the study 28.7% received full course vaccination against HBV. The most frequently mentioned reasons for not being vaccinated against HBV are unavailability of the vaccine (58.2%) and its cost (18.5%). Age, marital status, level of education, and type of profession have significant association with vaccination status.

CONCLUSION: HBV coverage among HPs in Gondar University Hospital (GUH) is inadequate. This is mostly due to unavailability of the vaccine and its cost. Vaccination status significantly varies based on level of education, type of profession, age, and marital status. We recommend making vaccines available and accessible.