Hepatitis B vaccination strategies tailored to different endemicity levels: some considerations.
Vaccine
; 28(4): 893-900, 2010 Jan 22.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19932217
ABSTRACT
Hepatitis B is a serious public health problem. Worldwide three different levels of hepatitis B endemicity (high, intermediate and low) can be distinguished. Areas with different levels of endemicity require tailored vaccination strategies to fit the needs for individuals at risk and/or countries, depending on the infection risk per age group, vaccination rate, duration of protection after vaccination, cost effectiveness of vaccination strategies and ease of implementation in the national immunization schedules.This opinion paper evaluates these factors and proposes a combination of infant risk group and universal adolescent vaccination for low endemic countries thus targeting the different groups at risk. A universal infant vaccination schedule starting with a newborn vaccination within 24h after birth is more appropriate in intermediate- and high-endemic regions.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Vaccination
/
Hepatitis B Vaccines
/
Endemic Diseases
/
Hepatitis B
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Vaccine
Year:
2010
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Netherlands