Hepatitis B Vaccination Status among Students of a Medical College in Islamabad

Objective: To assess the hepatitis B vaccination status among medical students at Islamabad Medical and Dental College. Materials and Methods: In August 2015, a crosssectional survey was carried out at Pediatric Department, Islamabad Medical and Dental College, Islamabad using a pretested self-administered questionnaire among 315 medical students of clinical years (3rd, 4th and 5th years) after taking informed consent. In questionnaire the status of hepatitis B vaccination of medical students and the reasons for not getting vaccinations were assessed. Results: Total 315 students were approached for survey; out of which 269 responded. Total response rate was 85%. Among 269 students who responded, 150 (56%) were female and 119 (44%) were male. 107 (40%) students were unvaccinated, while 73 (27%) were partially vaccinated and 89 (33%) were fully vaccinated. The most common reason of not receiving vaccination is laziness (53%) followed by lack of awareness (23%) and no knowledge about where to get vaccination (15%). According to medical students, the strongest recommendation for improving Hepatitis B vaccination is that vaccine should be mandatory for admission in medical colleges (33 %) followed by provision of vaccine free of cost (26%) and increasing awareness through media and seminars (20%). Conclusion: There is alarmingly low rate of vaccination of hepatitis B among students of Islamabad Medical and Dental College, leading to a high occupational risk of HBV infection. Therefore policy be implemented for making hepatitis B vaccination mandatory for admission in medical colleges to prevent student from getting this deadly disease.