Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41293591›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2025

Hepatitis A and B immunity and vaccination willingness among special school employees in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Peter Kegel, Felix Gössler, Nico Schmitz, Pavel Dietz, Stephan Letzel, Elisabeth Diehl

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

6 authors.

Peter KegelInstitute of Occupational Social and Environmental Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Felix GösslerInstitute for Teachers' Health at the Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Nico SchmitzInstitute for Teachers' Health at the Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Pavel DietzInstitute of Occupational Social and Environmental Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Stephan LetzelInstitute for Teachers' Health at the Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Elisabeth DiehlInstitute of Occupational Social and Environmental Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Employees at special schools face elevated risks of hepatitis A and B (HAV/HBV) due to close contact with pupils requiring personal care. Evidence on immunity and vaccination uptake in this occupational group is limited. Methods: Data from 1,742 employees at special schools in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany (2021-2023), were collected through online anamnesis forms, selected to ensure efficiency and effectiveness, as well as medical evaluations, vaccination records, and anti-HBs testing during mandatory occupational health care. Self-assessed infection risk, HAV/HBV immunity, and vaccination acceptance rates were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: 74% of the participants (83.5% female; median age: 43.7 years; 33.3% teachers, 62.2% educational specialists, 2.2% trainees, 2.4% others) completed the online anamnesis; 79% reported an increased occupational infection risk. Medical assessments confirmed HAV immunity in 54% and HBV immunity in 59%. Despite this awareness, vaccination gaps persisted: 58% of all employees received a recommendation for HAV and/or HBV vaccination, but only about half accepted it during the occupational health consultation. Younger age was the only significant predictor of vaccine acceptance (aOR 0.968 CI [0.952, 0.985]; Discussion: Employees at special schools perceive a high risk of infection, yet substantial gaps in HAV and HBV immunity remain. Despite counseling, vaccination uptake was modest, with younger staff more likely to accept. The discrepancy between high perceived risk and low uptake suggests barriers such as vaccine hesitancy, distrust, or convenience factors. Moreover, the mismatch between self-reported and confirmed immunity underscores the importance of systematic medical examinations. Occupational health care offers a key opportunity for targeted pre-employment vaccination and education, particularly for older employees.

Indexed as

Hepatitis AHepatitis A VaccinesHepatitis BHepatitis B VaccinesPatient Acceptance of Health CareSchoolsSchool TeachersVaccinationAdultFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedHepatitis A VaccinesHepatitis B Vaccineshepatitis A and Binfection riskoccupational medicinespecial schoolsteachersvaccination

Identifiers

PMID41293591
PMCPMC12643004

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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.