Hepatitis A Seroprevalence and Factors Affecting Hepatitis A Vaccination Among Healthcare Workers in a University Hospital

Objectives: Although there is an effective and valid vaccine, hepatitis A is an important public health problem, especially in underdeveloped countries. Ensuring high vaccination rates can help reduce the burden of hepatitis A. The aim of our study was to investigate hepatitis A seroprevalence, vaccination status, and barriers to vaccination among healthcare professionals.Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. The study was carried out in the Staff Health Screening Outpatient Clinic of Mengucek Gazi Training and Research Hospital, and the hepatitis A immunoglobulin G (IgG) results of 226 people included in the study were evaluated. A 20-question questionnaire prepared by the researchers, which scanned the participants' occupations, hepatitis infection status, coronavirus and hepatitis A vaccination status, barriers to vaccination, and their relationship with primary care physicians, was filled in by face-to-face interview method. Results: The mean age was 30.02. Anti-hepatitis A virus IgG value was positive in 65.5% (n=148) of the participants. Only 36.7% (n=83) of the participants had previously been vaccinated against hepatitis A. The biggest obstacle to vaccination was the lack of time with 32.1% (n=46). Hepatitis A vaccination rate of physicians were statistically significantly higher than the others (p=0.018). The communication of the participants with their family physicians positively affected the vaccination rates positively (p=0.001).Conclusion: The vaccination rate among healthcare workers was relatively low, indicating the need for increased efforts to improvevaccination rates. At this stage, family physicians should take a more active role in public health.