Evaluation of the routine hepatitis B immunization programme in Palestine, 1996.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate routine hepatitis B immunization in Palestine. Blood samples of 119 children (89 fully immunized and 30 non-immunized) were analysed. The protective antibody levels among immunized children were greater than the non-immunized children. Antibody levels among the immunized children were lower in the older age group (> 36 months), but no sex differences in antibody level were apparent. Thus, hepatitis B immunization had an excellent impact on preventing hepatitis B transmission (85% preventive). The non-responders constituted 14.6% of the sample, which is higher than other studies.