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Hepatitis B vaccination coverage among Asian and Pacific Islander children--United States, 1998
Insights
Hepatitis B vaccination coverage varies among Asian and Pacific Islander children in the U.S. Focused vaccination programs are needed to improve hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) series completion in this high-risk population.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Vaccinology
Background:
- Asian and Pacific Islander (API) children experience disproportionately high rates of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the United States.
- Hepatitis B vaccination has been recommended for API children since 1981 to prevent infections, with evolving guidelines for infants and older children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine trends in hepatitis B vaccination catch-up coverage among API children born before 1994.
- To assess the effectiveness of vaccination programs in improving HepB series completion.
Main Methods:
- Surveys were conducted in six U.S. cities in 1998 to gather data on vaccination status.
- Analysis focused on API children born before 1994 to understand historical vaccination trends.
Main Results:
- While hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) series completion increased significantly among younger API children (19-35 months) from 39% (1994) to 88% (1997).
- Coverage among older API children remained low, with only 10% vaccinated in 1995.
- Surveys indicated varying vaccination coverage rates across different API populations and geographic locations.
Conclusions:
- Despite improvements in younger age groups, hepatitis B vaccination coverage remains suboptimal among older API children.
- Continued and focused vaccination programs are essential to address disparities and ensure comprehensive HepB protection for all API children.
- The findings highlight the need for ongoing public health efforts tailored to specific high-risk populations to combat infectious diseases.
Abstract:
Asian and Pacific Islander (API) children in the United States have high rates of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (1-3). To prevent these infections, hepatitis B vaccination has been recommended for these children since the vaccine was first licensed by the Food and Drug Administration in 1981 (4). Recommendations have included universal hepatitis B vaccination of API infants beginning in 1990 and catch-up vaccination for API children aged <7 years (5). These recommendations were reinforced in 1991 when hepatitis B vaccination was recommended for all infants, particularly in populations such as API children with high rates of early childhood HBV infection (6). In 1995, vaccination was recommended for unvaccinated API children aged <11 years and catch-up vaccination for children aged 11-12 years who had not received hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) (7). Series completion among API children aged 19-35 months increased from 39% in 1994 to 88% in 1997 (8). However, among older API children, hepatitis B vaccination coverage was 10% in 1995 (7). In 1998, to examine trends in hepatitis B vaccination catch-up coverage among API children born before 1994, surveys were conducted in six U.S. cities. This report summarizes the results of the surveys, which indicate varying coverage among API children and suggest a need for continued focused vaccination programs for this population.