Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40872903›Full record

ArticleVaccines2025

Low Hepatitis B Immunity Among Ukrainian Refugee Children and Adolescents in Poland: Need for Targeted Screening and Vaccination.

Lidia Stopyra, Karolina Banach, Magdalena Wood, Justyna Stala, Anna Merklinger-Gruchała

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Vaccines, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Lidia StopyraDepartment of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University Medical College, 30-705 Kraków, Poland.
Karolina BanachDepartment of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University Medical College, 30-705 Kraków, Poland.
Magdalena WoodDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Pediatrics, Zeromski Specialist Hospital, 31-913 Kraków, Poland.
Justyna StalaDepartment of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University Medical College, 30-705 Kraków, Poland.
Anna Merklinger-GruchałaDepartment of Bioinformatics and Public Health, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University Medical College, 30-705 Kraków, Poland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe 2022 conflict in Ukraine triggered mass migration, leading to a significant influx of Ukrainian refugee children into Poland. This situation raises concerns about hepatitis B virus immunity, as Ukraine's hepatitis B vaccination coverage has been inconsistent compared to Poland's high vaccination rates.

objectiveTo evaluate hepatitis B immunity and infection prevalence among Ukrainian refugee children residing in Southern Poland and to assess implications for vaccination strategies in the host country.

methodsA prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 1322 Ukrainian refugee children (0-18 years) presenting to a pediatric infectious diseases department in Southern Poland between February 2022 and March 2024. Data on vaccination history, demographic characteristics, and selected laboratory parameters, including hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-HBs antibody levels, were collected. Protective immunity was defined as anti-HBs antibody levels ≥10 IU/L.

resultsAmong the participants (mean age 9.9 years; 50.2% female), 83.2% were reported as vaccinated according to national immunization programs, but only 64.9% demonstrated protective anti-HBs antibody levels. Protective antibody prevalence declined significantly with age, with less than half of adolescents aged 15-18 years showing immunity. Five children (0.4%) were diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B, four of whom were unvaccinated.

conclusionsThis study identifies a significant gap in hepatitis B immunity among Ukrainian adolescent refugees residing in Southern Poland, with less than half possessing protective anti-HBs antibody levels. This immunity gap and the high risk of sexual transmission of the hepatitis B virus in adolescents highlight the urgent need for comprehensive surveillance, screening, and catch-up vaccination programs.

Indexed as

antibodieschildrenHBV immunitymigrantsPolandprevalencespreventionspublic healthserological testingvaccination coverage

Identifiers

PMID40872903
PMCPMC12390387

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.