怀孕的香港女性表现出乙肝患病率，尽管疫苗接种无显著下

StephenW

Pregnant Hong Kong women show no significant drop in hepatitis B prevalence rate despite vaccinations, study finds

Screening of pregnant women and students suggests effectiveness declines over time, according to Chinese University study
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 28 April, 2015, 4:16pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 29 April, 2015, 1:15am

Elizabeth Cheung

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There has not been a significant drop in the number of pregnant women with hepatitis B despite the introduction of a vaccine 27 years ago, research has found.

Chinese University researchers also revealed that older women were more at risk from the infectious liver disease, which suggested the vaccine became less effective with age. They called for routine screening and booster doses for new health workers, who are considered to be at high risk of exposure.

Vaccines against hepatitis B have been given to babies - at birth, at one-month old and at six months - city-wide since 1988. However, the team found that the prevalence rate among pregnant women - the only group routinely screened for the disease - hovered around 10 per cent between 1998 and 2010, with at most a single percentage point change from the average.

The rate rises with age. In a study of 10,808 mothers aged 16 to 25 from 1998 to 2011, the rate increased from 2.3 per cent for 16-year-olds to 7.9 per cent among 25-year-olds.

Protection given by vaccines might decline over time. Five years after the vaccine, people usually test negative for antibodies that protect against the virus. But, if the vaccine is effective, antibodies should return on infection, due to what researchers call "immune memory".

"People who worry about the risk of infection should take a three-dose booster to get full protection," said Professor Paul Chan Kay-sheung, of the university's microbiology department.

Researchers stressed vaccines at birth were still useful.

The Department of Health said it was routine practice to screen public sector health workers. But it did not see the need to offer routine boosters.

Researchers think social habits might also increase risk. Sex, having tattoos, ear-piercing and sharing food utensils can all transmit the virus.


This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Vaccines at birth fail to halt hepatitis B

StephenW

怀孕的香港女性表现出乙肝患病率，尽管疫苗接种无显著下降，研究发现

孕妇和学生提出筛选有效性下降随着时间的推移，根据中国大学的一项研究
发布时间：周二，2015年4月28日，下午4点16分
更新时间：周三2015年4月29日，上午1时15分

伊丽莎白翔

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没有发生过，尽管在引进疫苗的孕妇乙肝的人数下降显著27年前，研究发现。

中国大学的研究人员还透露，年长的妇女更在距离传染性肝病，提示疫苗变得不那么有效随着年龄的增长风险。他们呼吁常规筛查和加强免疫的新的卫生工作者，谁被认为是高暴露风险。

乙肝疫苗已经给婴儿 - 出生，在一月龄和六个月 - 全市范围自1988年以来然而，研究小组发现，患病率孕妇中 - 唯一的组常规筛查疾病 - 徘徊在10％左右1998年和2010年之间，顶多从平均一个百分点的变化。

率上升与年龄。在10808从1998年16岁至25至2011年的母亲进行研究，率从2.3％上升为16岁的孩子到7.9％之间的25岁的年轻人。

通过保护给出的疫苗可能会随时间下降。疫苗五年后，人们通常阴性为防止该病毒的抗体。但是，如果疫苗是有效的，应该抗体感染上返回，原因是什么研究人员称之为“免疫记忆”。

“谁的人担心感染应采取三个剂量的加强获得充分保护的风险，说：”大学的微生物学系陈保凯嫦教授。

研究人员强调疫苗在出生仍然有用。