Published online Jun 25, 2024. doi: 10.5501/wjv.v13.i2.92115
Revised: April 4, 2024
Accepted: April 18, 2024
Published online: June 25, 2024
Processing time: 160 Days and 17.6 Hours
Birth-dose (Hep-BD) followed by three additional doses (Hep-B3) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine are key to eliminating HBV by 2030. Unfortunately, Hep-BD and Hep-B3 coverage in our country is poor.
To studied the parent’s knowledge and awareness about HBV infection, its prevention, consequences and vaccination.
Parents of 6 months to 8 years old children were interviewed to assess their knowledge & awareness about hepatitis B, its transmission, prevention, illness caused by this, and vaccination. Eighteen close-ended questions were admini
Parents (58.3% mothers) of 384 children (89.9% age < 5 years; 82% age-appropriately vaccinated) were included. Three hundred and twenty-two (83.9%) children were Hep-B3 vaccinated. 94.3%, 87.5%, and 29.2% parents knew about polio, tetanus, and hepatitis B vaccine. Overall, 41.2%, 15.8%, and 23% parents knew about hepatitis B transmission, consequences of infection, and prevention respectively. Only 7.6% parents knew about three-dose schedule of hepatitis B vaccination. Only 23% parents believed that vaccine could prevent HBV, 15.7% knew that HBV affects liver. Parents of Hep-B3 vaccinated children were significantly more aware about HBV than the parents of unvaccinated children (P < 0.05 for 17/18 questions).
The knowledge and awareness among the parents about hepatitis B is poor. The Increasing knowledge/awareness about HBV among parents may improve Hep-B3 vaccination coverage.
Core Tip: Hepatitis B infection can be prevented with vaccination. Birth dose followed by three doses of hepatitis B vaccine in infancy is one of the key intervention to prevent hepatitis B transmission. Unfortunately, the coverage of hepatitis B vaccination among newborns are not adequate in India. Our article identified that the parents have poor knowledge about the hepatitis B and increasing knowledge/awareness about hepatitis B virus among parents may improve Hepatitis B vaccine coverage in the country.