Abstract
In our hospital, hepatitis B surface (HBs) antigen/HBs antibody tests were carried out on all staff members as hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection control measures regardless of previous information, and HB vaccination were given to staff with negative HBs antigen and HBs antibody until 2010. The infection control team (ICT) drew up a new HB vaccination program based on the guidelines published by the Japanese Society for Infection Prevention and Control, and planned new principles for HBs antigen/HBs antibody tests and HB vaccination in 2011. We investigated the results of the vaccination rate and cost effectiveness based on the new principles for HB infection control. In the new vaccine program, HBs antigen/HBs antibody tests were only performed on the staff with negative HBs antibody in the previous year and newly employed staff, finding 118 of 238 staff were antibody negative. Forty-eight (40.7%) of these 118 staff members completed 1-cycle vaccination consisting of three injections of vaccine. Thirty-six (75%) of these 48 staff members became seropositive and 10 members remained seronegative. The seropositivity check was not performed because of retirement in 2 members. The new vaccine program reduced costs by about 740,000 yen in total, about 490,000 yen by reduction of antigen/antibody tests and about 250,000 yen by reduction of vaccinations. The new vaccine program may allow appropriate selection of staff members for tests and vaccination and to check the seropositivity of vaccinated staff, whereas the previous protocol could not monitor the effectiveness of vaccination.
