National summary of neonatal hepatitis B immunisation in Wales 2018-19

• All Wales/National
• Annual

An all Wales database to support the appropriate vaccination of babies born to mothers with hepatitis B infection has been developed by Public Health Wales.

This report summarises uptake and timeliness of the first three doses of hepatitis B immunisation and uptake trends in babies born to hepatitis B positive mothers during 2019 who were notified to the Public Health Wales Health Protection Team. Uptake and timeliness of the dose of hepatitis B immunisation due at 12 months and serology in babies born to hepatitis B positive mothers in 2018 are also presented.

Background

Hepatitis B infection can be passed from an infected mother to her baby during birth. Babies infected in this way are very likely to become chronically infected, so can infect others. The risk of infection at birth can be reduced by over 90% by timely vaccination.

From 1st August 2017 all babies became eligible for the new hexavalent (‘6 in 1’) vaccine that includes hepatitis B and replaced the ‘5 in 1’ (DTaP/IPV/Hib combined diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, inactivated polio and Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine)vaccine scheduled at 2, 3 and 4 months of age. These babies should receive doses of monovalent Hepatitis B vaccine at 0 and 1 months, the ‘6 in 1’ vaccine as scheduled at 2, 3 and 4 months and monovalent vaccine at 12 months, a total of six doses of Hepatitis B containing vaccine. For the purpose of monitoring whether at risk babies are protected from Hepatitis B, this report focuses on uptake and timeliness of hepatitis B containing vaccine at 0, 1, 2 and 12 months.

The data in this report are taken from the All Wales Neonatal Hepatitis B Immunisation database. The database was developed to assist the Public Health Wales Health Protection Team in the monitoring and follow up of hepatitis B immunisation in babies born to hepatitis B positive mothers. The database also allows Public Health Wales to monitor uptake and timeliness of hepatitis B vaccination in neonates and young children born to infected mothers. Data contained in this report were extracted on 12th October 2020.