HBV control relies on continued vaccination, screening
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The CDC announced achievement in controlling the hepatitis B virus and detailed the next steps for continued progress among underperforming countries’ immunization programs impacted by COVID-19 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
“In 2019, an estimated 14 million persons in the WHO European Region (EUR) were chronically infected with HBV and approximately 43,000 of these persons died from complications of chronic HBV infection,” Nino Khetsuriani, MD, PhD, global immunization division in the center for global health at the CDC, and colleagues wrote. “In 2016, the WHO Regional Office for Europe set hepatitis B control program targets for 2020.”
Investigators reported substantial progress in reaching the targeted goals for controlled HBV of greater than 90% coverage with three doses of the HBV vaccine, greater than 90% coverage with interventions to prevent transmission during pregnancy and less than 0.5% prevalence of HBsAg in age groups eligible for the vaccination. By December 2019, 94% of countries in the EUR provided routine vaccination to infants and children aged 1 year to 12 years, including in 23 countries that offered the HBV birth dose to all newborns.
Specifically, 35 of the 48 countries with universal infant HBV vaccination achieved greater than 90% coverage for three doses of the vaccine annually and 19 of the 23 countries with universal birth dose administration reached greater than 90% timely HBV birth dose coverage annually. Further, 17 of 30 countries achieved targets for HBV screening among pregnant women. Italy and the Netherlands were the first two countries validated for achieved regional HBV control targets.
“Despite progress made during 2016 to 2019, achieving the 2020 HBV control goal in EUR will require programmatic improvements in underperforming countries. To accelerate the validation process, most countries will need to generate additional evidence of having achieved the regional targets,” Khetsuriani and colleagues concluded. “Implementing the regional guidance on interventions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on immunization programs can help countries maintain or improve HBV vaccination coverage and accelerate progress toward the regional goal.”
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