Prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus infection before and after implementation of a hepatitis B vaccination program among children in Nepal

摘要

BackgroundIn Nepal, an estimated 2–4% of the population has chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. To combat this problem, from 2002–2004, a national three dose hepatitis B vaccination program was implemented to decrease infection rates among children. The program does not currently include a birth dose to prevent perinatal HBV transmission. In 2012, to assess the impact of the program, we conducted a serosurvey among children born before and after vaccine introduction.