Baseline Hepatitis B Surface Antibody (Anti-HBs) Titers in Healthcare Workers at a Tertiary Care Center in Chennai, India

Background Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection due to occupational exposure to blood and body fluids. Despite the availability of effective vaccination, adherence to vaccination recommendations among HCWs remains suboptimal in many healthcare settings. Objective To determine baseline hepatitis B surface antibody (anti‑HBs) titers among HCWs at a tertiary hospital. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 1,909 HCWs from a tertiary hospital. Data collected included age, gender, and work area. Anti‑HBs titers were quantitatively measured using the ARCHITECT Anti‑HBs test (Abbott Laboratories, Illinois, USA). Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests, were conducted to evaluate the association between demographic variables and vaccine response. Results The majority of participants (43%) belonged to the 16-25-year age group, and 62.85% were from the nursing department. The overall vaccine response rate was 93.0%. Vaccine response was highest among individuals aged 26-35 years (95.6%) and lowest in those aged 56-75 years (82.1%). Statistically significant associations were found between response rates and age, sex, and work area (p < 0.001 for all) using chi-square analysis. Conclusion Our findings indicate that most HCWs developed a protective response to the hepatitis B vaccine (93.0%), particularly those aged 26 to 35 years (95.6%). Nonetheless, the existence of a 7.0% non-responder group emphasizes the need for additional follow-up. Age, sex, and occupational role were significantly associated with antibody response, suggesting that individualized immunization strategies may be beneficial. Ensuring immunity in non-responders through appropriate re-vaccination could play a key role in closing immunity gaps among HCWs.