Abstract:
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of hepatitis B vaccination in Fenghua district, Ningbo city from 1992 to 2020.
Methods The epidemiological survey data on hepatitis B serology in Fenghua district in 1992 and 2020 were collected for comparison of the positive rates of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs). Furthermore, data on the incidence of hepatitis B from 1992 to 2020 were collected for comparison of the average annual incidence of hepatitis B during the planned immunization management stage (1992–2001), the immunization planning management stage (2002–2011), and the implementation stage of the hepatitis B mother-to-child transmission prevention strategy (2012–2020). The decision tree-Markov model was adopted to evaluate the effectiveness of hepatitis B vaccination in newborns from 1992 to 2020.
Results The positive rate of HBsAg across the entire population declined from 13.79% in 1992 to 5.42% in 2020 (χ2 = 31.73, P < 0.01), with all age groups within the cohort of 0–24 years old experiencing a reduction to 0%. The positive rate of anti-HBs in the age group of 0–4 years old increased from 34.48% in 1992 to 90.16% in 2020 (χ2 = 30.38, P < 0.01). The incidence of hepatitis B significantly decreased among individuals aged 0–29 years old. Particularly, the age groups of 0–4, 5–9, and 10–14 years old during 2012–2020 showed declines of 86.08%, 94.63%, and 94.55% respectively, compared with those in 1992–2001. According to the decision tree-Markov model, compared with those who did not receive hepatitis B vaccination, the vaccination among 114 670 individuals in Fenghua district from 1992 to 2020 prevented 6 894 cases of acute hepatitis B, 30 832 cases of hepatitis B carriers, 4 705 cases of chronic hepatitis B, 4 043 cases of liver cirrhosis, 3 265 cases of liver cancer, and 4 411 hepatitis B-related deaths.
Conclusions The hepatitis B vaccination program in Fenghua district has yielded remarkable results, significantly decreasing both the positive rate of HBsAg and the incidence of hepatitis B among young age groups. It is imperative to continue enhancing the hepatitis B vaccination efforts for newborns.