Abstract:
Viral hepatitis B remain to be a global, social and medical problem, including for the Republic of Moldova, where the morbidity due to this infection is higher in comparison with other countries in Europe. This article discusses the results of the preventive measures, especially vaccination, for
viral hepatitis B, taken during the last years. In the prevaccination period the number of cases registered annually among children of 0-2 years old
vary from 419 in 1986 to 296 in 1989 (the year of the start of the incomplete selective vaccination), while the index of morbidity vary respectively from
1,6o
/oo up to 1,2o
/oo. The annual average number in the prevaccination period amounted to 343 cases and the incidence rate – to 1,38o
/oo. The index of
the morbidity in the second period decreased respectively from 1,1o
/oo to 0,62o
/oo. The average number of the reported cases in this period amounted
to 150, and the morbidity rate – to 0,71o
/oo. Due to the absence of the vaccine the newborn children resumed getting the universal vaccination only in
the autumn of 1994. In the third period the incidence decreased from 70 cases in 1995 (the year of the start of total complete vaccination) to 2 cases
in 2006. The indices of the morbidity in this period were, respectively, 0,39o
/oo and 0,02o
/oo. The annual average number was 14 cases, and the index
of morbidity – 0,11o/oo. Thus, we can conclude that the vaccination of newborns and other risk groups is a very effective preventive measure and its
further realization as well as nonspecific preventive measures will contribute from year to year to a significant reduction of the morbidity, and to the
replacement of the current generation highly affected by the virus HB by another generation little affected by it.
