EVALUATION OF HEPATITIS B VIRUS VACCINATION AMONG CHILDREN IN BAGHDAD CITY

This study attempt to determine the protective level of antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigen among vaccinated and unvaccinated children in Baghdad city, age ranging 1- 10 year. A total of 250 blood samples have been collected and tested for detection of serological markers of hepatitis B virus (HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc). They included 190 children represented the vaccinated group and 60 children represented the unvaccinated group. Prevalence of anti-HBs was higher in vaccinated children (70%) than in unvaccinated children (3.3%.) Anti-HBc was not found in vaccinated children, while 3.3% in unvaccinated children. The distribution of protective level is divided to less than 10; 10-100; and 100-more than 500 m.i.u./ml among studies groups that have anti-HBs 13(6.8%); 21(11%); and 99(52.1%) of vaccinated and (0.0%); (0.0%); and 2(3.3%) of unvaccinated group. Finally, prevalence of protective anti-HBs level according to the doses received by vaccinated group has revealed that 77.2%of those who received the three primary doses.