[Child and adolescent hepatitis B vaccination--responsibilities of the public health service]

In Oct. 1995, the National Committee for Immunisation at the Robert Koch-Institute recommended general hepatitis B vaccination for all infants as well as adolescents between 13 to 15 years of age. With an incidence of 50,000 cases per year, hepatitis B (HB) is the most common vaccine-preventable disease in Germany. Sexual contacts are the primary means of transmission of HB. Because of this fact, young adolescents are an important target group for a national HB vaccination programme. Having only few contacts to physicians in private clinics, these adolescents may accept this vaccination after intelligent and long-term health-campaigns. In the present situation, we are running out of time. To reach all targeted adolescents, we need activities by public-health offices having regular contacts with school classes only when immunizing all girls against rubella at the age of 11 to 15. This provides an ideal opportunity to immunise against HB as well. Substantial support seems possible if HB is clearly recognized as a serious emerging infectious disease in Germany.