Long-term protection of hepatitis B vaccine 18 years after vaccination.

Introduction: This is the third evaluation study of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination program, initiated in 1989 in Saudi Arabia.

Aims: This study sought to assess the efficacy and long-term protection of the hepatitis B vaccine among Saudi adolescents.

Methods: School students between the ages of 16 and 18 years were randomly chosen from high endemic (Aseer), intermediate endemic (Madinah), and low endemic (Al-Qaseem) areas of the country.

Factors affecting the choice of health specialty by medical graduates.

A specialty is the transition from the undifferentiated medical graduate phase to the final, fully-differentiated specialist who is almost restricted to one specialized area of medical work. The medical specialty chosen by the medical practitioner is important for both the practitioner and the society. It is an important determinant of the future supply of doctors in different specialties and the planning of the workforce for the health-care services.