- Estimated impact of the national hepatitis B immunization program on acute viral hepatitis B among adolescents in South Korea
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Chungman Chae, Sangwoo Tak
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Received December 25, 2022 Accepted February 20, 2023 Published online March 14, 2023
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2022.0321
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 Abstract
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- Objectives
We aimed to estimate the impact of the national hepatitis B immunization program on the incidence of acute hepatitis B infection among adolescents in South Korea.
Methods
We estimated the counterfactual incidence rate of reported acute hepatitis B among adolescents from 2016 to 2020 compared to the assumption that the national hepatitis B immunization program for children had not been implemented since 1995. The impact of the national hepatitis B immunization program for adolescents was measured by estimating the absolute risk reduction and averted acute hepatitis B infections among adolescents from 2016 to 2020 attributed to the national immunization program.
Results
The relative risk reduction of acute hepatitis B among adolescents was estimated to be 83.5% after implementing the national hepatitis B immunization program. The incidence rate of reported acute hepatitis B infections among adolescents decreased from 0.39 to 0.06 per 100,000 person-years, and 43 acute hepatitis B infections, including 17 symptomatic cases, were averted annually from 2016 to 2020 by the national hepatitis B immunization program.
Conclusion
The national hepatitis B immunization program for children was effective in preventing acute hepatitis B infection among adolescents in South Korea.
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