TY  - JOUR
A1  - Mueller, A.
A1  - Stoetter, L.
A1  - Kalluvya, S.
A1  - Stich, A.
A1  - Majinge, C.
A1  - Weissbrich, B.
A1  - Kasang, C.
T1  - Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among health care workers in a tertiary hospital in Tanzania
JF  - BMC Infectious Diseases
N2  - Background: Sub-Saharan Africa has a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. Health care workers (HCWs) are at high risk of contracting HBV infection through their occupation. Vaccination of HCWs against HBV is standard practice in many countries, but is often not implemented in resource-poor settings. We aimed with this cross-sectional study to determine HBV prevalence, HCW vaccination status, and the risk factors for HCWs contracting HBV infection in Tanzania. 
Methods: We enrolled 600 HCWs from a tertiary Tanzanian hospital. Their demographics, medical histories, HBV vaccination details and risk factors for contracting blood-borne infections were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Serum samples were tested for HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers by ELISA techniques, PCR and an anti-HBs rapid test. HCWs were divided in two subgroups: those at risk of contracting HBV (rHCW 79.2 %) via exposure to potentially infectious materials, and those considered not at risk of contracting HBV (nrHCW, 20.8 %). Results: The overall prevalence of chronic HBV infection (HBsAg+, anti-HBc+, anti-HBs-) was 7.0 % (42/598). Chronic HBV infection was found in 7.4 % of rHCW versus 5.6 % of nrHCW(p-value = 0.484). HCWs susceptible to HBV (HBsAg-, anti-HBc-, anti-HBs-) comprised 31.3 %. HBV immunity achieved either by healed HBV infection (HBsAg-, anti-HBc+, anti-HBs+) or by vaccination (HBsAg-, anti-HBc-, anti-HBs+) comprised 36.5 % and 20.2 %, respectively. 4.8 % of participants had indeterminate results (HBsAg-, anti-HBc+, anti-HBc-IgM-, anti-HBs-). Only 77.1 % of HCWs who received a full vaccination course had an anti-HBs titer > 10 ml/U. An anti-HBs point-of-care test was 80.7 % sensitive and 96.9 % specific. There was a significantly higher risk for contracting HBV (anti-HBc+) among those HCW at occupational risk (rHCW) of older age (odds ratios (OR) in rHCW 3.297, p < 0.0001 vs. nrHCW 1.385, p = 0.606) and among those HCW being employed more than 11 years (OR 2.51, p < 0.0001***). HCV prevalence was low (HCV antibodies 1.2 % and HCV-RNA 0.3 %). 
Conclusions: Chronic HBV infection is common among Tanzanian HCWs. One third of HCWs were susceptible to HBV infection, highlighting the need for vaccination. Due to high prevalence of naturally acquired immunity against HBV pre-testing might be a useful tool to identify susceptible individuals.
KW  - hepatitis C virus
KW  - point-of-care test
KW  - human-immunodeficiency-virus
KW  - C virus
KW  - seroprevalence
KW  - syphilis
KW  - vaccine
KW  - Uganda
KW  - blood
KW  - hepatitis B virus
KW  - health care workers
KW  - Tanzania
Y1  - 2015
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-141786
VL  - 15
IS  - 386
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Holzmann-Littig, Christopher
A1  - Frank, Tamara
A1  - Schmaderer, Christoph
A1  - Braunisch, Matthias C.
A1  - Renders, Lutz
A1  - Kranke, Peter
A1  - Popp, Maria
A1  - Seeber, Christian
A1  - Fichtner, Falk
A1  - Littig, Bianca
A1  - Carbajo-Lozoya, Javier
A1  - Meerpohl, Joerg J.
A1  - Haller, Bernhard
A1  - Allwang, Christine
T1  - COVID-19 Vaccines: Fear of side effects among German health care workers
JF  - Vaccines
N2  - (1) Background: Health care workers (HCWs) play a key role in increasing anti-COVID vaccination rates. Fear of potential side effects is one of the main reasons for vaccine hesitancy. We investigated which side effects are of concern to HCWs and how these are associated with vaccine hesitancy. (2) Methods: Data were collected in an online survey in February 2021 among HCWs from across Germany with 4500 included participants. Free-text comments on previously experienced vaccination side effects, and fear of short- and long-term side effects of the COVID-19 vaccination were categorized and analyzed. (3) Results: Most feared short-term side effects were vaccination reactions, allergic reactions, and limitations in daily life. Most feared long-term side effects were (auto-) immune reactions, neurological side effects, and currently unknown long-term consequences. Concerns about serious vaccination side effects were associated with vaccination refusal. There was a clear association between refusal of COVID-19 vaccination in one's personal environment and fear of side effects. (4) Conclusions: Transparent information about vaccine side effects is needed, especially for HCW. Especially when the participants' acquaintances advised against vaccination, they were significantly more likely to fear side effects. Thus, further education of HCW is necessary to achieve good information transfer in clusters as well.
KW  - COVID-19
KW  - vaccine hesitancy
KW  - health care workers
KW  - side-effects
KW  - fears
Y1  - 2022
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-270561
SN  - 2076-393X
VL  - 10
IS  - 5
ER  -