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  • Title: Efficacy of the nationwide hepatitis B infant vaccination program in Taiwan.
    Author: Chen SM, Kung CM, Yang WJ, Wang HL.
    Journal: J Clin Virol; 2011 Sep; 52(1):11-6. PubMed ID: 21767983.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Taiwan launched a nationwide infant vaccination program for hepatitis B (HB) in 1984. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the incidence of high alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level among young adults prior to, during, and since the introduction of the nationwide HBV vaccination program. STUDY DESIGN: Researchers recruited 101,584 freshmen (male:female=1.114:1; mean age, 18.5±0.5 years) from 21 universities between 1995 and 2009 (birth cohorts 1977-1991) in Taiwan, testing for serum hepatitis B surface antigens (HBsAg), hepatitis e antigens (HBeAg), antibodies against HBsAg (anti-HBs), and liver function tests, including ALT and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). RESULTS: The results showed that the prevalence of HBsAg decreased significantly from 14.3% in 1995 to 1.1% in 2009 and the seroprevalence of HBeAg decreased significantly from 5.9% in 1995 to 0.3% in 2009. Seroconversion to anti-HBs maintained a steady rate above 50% between 1995 and 2007, but declined considerably to 36.6% and 36.4% in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Subject with HBeAg seropositivity was in 43.94% of HBV carriers. Double seronegativity for HBsAg and anti-HBs was observed in 2007 (47.8%), 2008 (62.3%), and 2009 (62.5%). High ALT level was observed in 5.74% of the subjects, particular among HBV-carriers (16.5% of HBV carrier vs. 5.0% of non-HBV carrier; ORs, 3.733; 95% CIs, 3.463-4.023, p<0.0001). Subjects with high ALT level were significantly positively associated with HBeAg (10.5% of HBeAg seropositive vs. 1.9% of HBeAg seronegative; ORs, 6.195; 95%CI, 5.629-6.818; p<0.0001). Male subjects were more easily infected by HBV than female subjects were (HBsAg, ORs, 1.355, 95% CI, 1.283-1.431; HBeAg, ORs, 1.324, 95% CI, 1.218-1.439, p<0.0001), and significantly more male subjects had high ALT levels than female subjects did (ORs, 4.087; 95% CI, 3.819-4.375, p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The mass vaccination program successfully reduced the HBV carrier rate and prevalence of chronic hepatitis B in Taiwan. However, the low percentage of anti-HBV in 2008 and 2009 remains unresolved.
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