Hepatitis B virus among schoolchildren in an endemic area in Egypt over a decade: Impact of hepatitis B vaccine

Cross-sectional studies were conducted over a decade among schoolchildren in an endemic area in Egypt for screening of hepatitis B (HB) virus markers. The significant decline of anti-HB core trend indicates the effectiveness of the prophylactic strategy in which the HB vaccine was incorporated. In addition, the persistence of protective titer of anti-HB surface among 54% of vaccinated children ages 6-10 years is encouraging. However, further investigations are recommended to clarify the unusual detected observations. © 2006 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc.