hepatitis B

In 2007, the Philippines began administering the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns within 24 hours after birth (hepatitis B birth dose). With funding from the World Health Organization, Philippines (WHO) and in collaboration with the Philippine Department of Health, the National Telehealth Center of UP-NIH, and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, ICHHD conducted a study to assess the seroprevalence of hepatitis B antibodies among children born between 2007 to 2008, around the time hepatitis B birth dose was first introduced. This study, conducted from July 25 July to 22 October, 2013, covered 24 provinces in the Philippines.

Information on the child’s hepatitis B vaccination status and blood were obtained. Blood was tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Among 2,769 children, 26% were found to have received a timely hepatitis B birth dose (within 24 hours of birth), and 89% received 3 doses of the vaccine. About 2,407 blood samples were tested for HBsAg and results show that 20 (weighted %, 0.86%) were HBsAg positive. Among those who were HBsAg positive, 2 (weighted %, 20%) received a timely birth dose while 17 (weighted %, 85%) received three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine. The seroprevalence of HBsAg that we detected was lower than expected. However, there were several limitations in the field and in the laboratory that may have affected the representativeness of the results. Follow-up studies need to be conducted to validate these results.

    1. Hepatitis B seroprevalence among 5 to 6 years old children in the Philippines born prior to routine hepatitis B vaccination at birth (Link)

Study Partners