A study in the August issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), suggests that documentation of hepatitis B vaccination for healthcare students may fall short of current recommendations.
Researchers led by Dr. Rania Tohme of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed hepatitis B immunization records of 4,075 healthcare students who matriculated at a university in the southeastern U.S. between January 2000 and January 2010. The study found that only 59.8 percent of students had documentation of complete vaccination against hepatitis B, and that only 83.8 percent were protected against hepatitis B infection when tested for the presence of hepatitis B antibodies. These rates are lower than the U.S. government's Healthy People 2010 goal of 90 percent hepatitis B vaccination coverage among health care workers.
The study also found that very few students had been vaccinated during childhood according to the CDC and the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations in effect at the time. In 1995, CDC and ACIP recommended routine vaccination of previously unvaccinated children aged 11-12 years, and vaccination for all children 18 and under in 1999. However, the majority of students with documented vaccination were only recently vaccinated, either during or a few years prior to matriculation.
CDC and ACIP currently recommend vaccinating all infants at birth, as well as all adolescents and at-risk adults who have not yet received the vaccine. Additionally, all health care workers who may be exposed to blood or blood-contaminated products should be both vaccinated for hepatitis B and tested for antibodies to ensure protection against infection.
Although health care students are exposed during their training to bloodborne pathogens, including hepatitis B, little or no information was available regarding hepatitis B vaccination coverage at matriculation among this group in the United States prior to the publication of this study, the researchers say.
Health care students are at risk of exposure to hepatitis B virus during their training and later during their career. Previous studies have documented frequent needle stick injuries among medical students, with 8 percent of occurrences involving a known hepatitis B carrier. Therefore, vaccination and documentation of protection would help decrease risk of infection.
The researchers caution that these results are limited to one university, and may not be generalizable to other institutions.
Reference: Rania A. Tohme, Bruce Ribner, Michael J. Huey, Philip R. Spradling. Hepatitis B Vaccination Coverage and Documented Seroprotection among Matriculating Health Care Students at an Academic Institution in the United States. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology 32:8 (August 2011).
Stay prepared and protected with Infection Control Today's newsletter, delivering essential updates, best practices, and expert insights for infection preventionists.
Reducing Hidden Risks: Why Sharps Injuries Still Go Unreported
July 18th 2025Despite being a well-known occupational hazard, sharps injuries continue to occur in health care facilities and are often underreported, underestimated, and inadequately addressed. A recent interview with sharps safety advocate Amanda Heitman, BSN, RN, CNOR, a perioperative educational consultant, reveals why change is overdue and what new tools and guidance can help.
New Study Explores Oral Vancomycin to Prevent C difficile Recurrence, But Questions Remain
July 17th 2025A new clinical trial explores the use of low-dose oral vancomycin to prevent Clostridioides difficile recurrence in high-risk patients taking antibiotics. While the data suggest a possible benefit, the findings stop short of statistical significance and raise red flags about vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), underscoring the delicate balance between prevention and antimicrobial stewardship.
What Lies Beneath: Why Borescopes Are Essential for Verifying Surgical Instrument Cleanliness
July 16th 2025Despite their smooth, polished exteriors, surgical instruments often harbor dangerous contaminants deep inside their lumens. At the HSPA25 and APIC25 conferences, Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH, and her colleagues revealed why borescopes are an indispensable tool for sterile processing teams, offering the only reliable way to verify internal cleanliness and improve sterile processing effectiveness to prevent patient harm.
The Next Frontier in Infection Control: AI-Driven Operating Rooms
Published: July 15th 2025 | Updated: July 15th 2025Discover how AI-powered sensors, smart surveillance, and advanced analytics are revolutionizing infection prevention in the OR. Herman DeBoard, PhD, discusses how these technologies safeguard sterile fields, reduce SSIs, and help hospitals balance operational efficiency with patient safety.
Targeting Uncertainty: Why Pregnancy May Be the Best Time to Build Vaccine Confidence
July 15th 2025New national survey data reveal high uncertainty among pregnant individuals—especially first-time parents—about vaccinating their future children, underscoring the value of proactive engagement to strengthen infection prevention.