BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hepatitis B virus infection is regarded as a major factor for chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, worldwide. Hepatitis B is most commonly transmitted from mother to child at birth (perinatal transmission). In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among rural pregnant women, who had received vaccination at birth, based on the national hepatitis B vaccination program, implemented in Iran in 1994.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on all rural women, born in years 1993-1999, who had received hepatitis B vaccination according to the national program and had become pregnant during 2007-2014. In order to diagnose the disease, the status of HBsAg marker was recorded and evaluated by reviewing the subjects' health records.

FINDINGS:Among 1065 pregnant women, only 2(0.18%) cases were HBsAg-positive; The mother of one of these two cases was diagnosed with hepatitis B infection

CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicated that the national vaccination program had a considerable impact on reducing the prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among women of reproductive age. Continuous vaccination of newborns and high-risk groups and screening programs for pregnant mothers should be also prioritized in the national program.