6. Haematological Parameters of Immunized and Non-immunized Hepatitis B Negative Individuals in a Selected Community in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria
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Abstract
Background: The Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), a type of hepadnavirus, targets liver cells and annually causes approximately 820,000 deaths. Although effective vaccines are available, Hepatitis B continues to pose a significant public health challenge. Objectives: This study examined the haematological patterns between vaccinated and unvaccinated hepatitis B-negative individuals for variations in blood parameters. Methodology: This cross-sectional study took place in Iludun, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria, and used 140 participants, half vaccinated. Blood samples collected from these subjects underwent various parameter analyses, including white blood cell count (WBC), packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell count (RBC), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and haemoglobin levels (HGB). Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22.0 with a p-value threshold set at less than 0.05 to determine statistical significance between both groups. Results: The findings showed that the average RBC in the immunized group was 4.18 ± 0.51 compared to 4.41 ± 0.66 in the non-immunized group. The MCHC measured 12.55 ± 1 .57 for the immunized and increased slightly to an average of 13.24 ± 1.99 within non-immunized members. A notable statistically significant difference was observed between RBC and HGB; however, WBC, PCV, leukocyte distributions (differential counts), and MCV indices had no significant difference between the two population sets. Conclusion/ Recommendation: The data determines that hepatitis B immunization may not affect certain haematological parameters. However, this study indicates that while protecting against the virus, hepatitis B immunization had a limited chance of enhancing specific blood parameters. The study provides evidence-based insights to strengthen public health initiatives, generate baseline data for diagnosing and managing blood-related conditions, influence policy decisions on haematological monitoring in vaccination programmes, raise awareness about immunisation's benefits and lay a foundation for future research exploring trends and impacts of vaccination. Therefore, a cross-sectional design is recommended to help assess long-term changes or effects of immunization on haematological parameters.