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Cost effectiveness of prevaccination screening for hepatitis B antibody
Author(s) -
Jacobson JJ,
La Turno DE,
Johnston FK,
Shipman C
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of dental education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.53
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1930-7837
pISSN - 0022-0337
DOI - 10.1002/j.0022-0337.1987.51.2.tb02082.x
Subject(s) - medicine , titer , vaccination , antibody , immunology , hepatitis b , immunity , immune system
The cost effectiveness of screening for hepatitis B antibodies prior to instituting a vaccination program was investigated. Prevaccination screening tests for anti‐HBs were performed on sera from 295 faculty and staff. Anti‐HBs positive titers were found for 58 persons, and 43 (14.6 percent) of these had titers high enough to confer immunity. The cost of screening 295 persons was $1,666.64, or $5.65 per participant. By not vaccinating 43 persons, $4,498.23 was saved. A prevaccination screening would be most cost effective if only faculty with patient contact were screened.