A prospective, multicenter study of hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine with or without hepatitis B immunoglobulin in preventing mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus in Ethiopia.

Background: Historically, mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) was considered uncommon in Africa, leading to a reluctant attitude to birth-dose HBV vaccination on the continent. As a randomized trial would be unethical, real-life data are needed to assess the effect of HBV birth-dose vaccine in Africa.

Methods: A multicenter, prospective, observational study of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive pregnant women and their infants was carried out in Ethiopia, from January 2019 to May 2021.