Abstract:

Background: Hepatitis B is the most common infectious disease among humans. It is the leading cause of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepato-cellular cancer worldwide. Health care personnel especially medical student represent high risk population for hepatitis B virus infection. There is limited information on the breakthrough infections among vaccinated medical students, therefore, this study determined the positivity of HBsAg and factors associated with breakthrough infections among Hepatitis B vaccinated students in Mwanza, Tanzania.

Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study conducted from June to August 2024 among CUHAS medical student in Mwanza, Tanzania. Demographic data and factors associated with breakthrough infections were captured in a well-structured questionnaire. Blood sample was collected aseptically from the consenting participants and tested for HBsAg. The results were analysed using STATA version 15 software.

Results: A total of 298 participants with median [IQR] age of 21[18-28] years were enrolled during this study. The majority of this study participants were females 54.4%, single 100.0%, and studying degree 57.0%. The prevalence of HBV infection was found to be 0%. Most of the participants 99.7% have no history of STDS, 17.3% performed normal and oral sex, also, 28.3% and 4.7% were never and rarely use condoms respectively.

Conclusion: The prevalence of HBV infection among vaccinated students at CUHAS is low according to WHO classification. However, these students are at high risk of being infected. Therefore, regular HBV screening among medical students, to enhance outcomes through early detection and prompt management and implement vaccinations campaign to protects this high-risk group.