A pilot model of vaccination against hepatitis B virus suitable for mass vaccination campaigns in hyperendemic areas
✍ Scribed by Prof. G. da Villa; M. Piazza; R. Lorio; L. Picciotto; P. Peluso; G. Deluca; B. Basile
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1992
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 407 KB
- Volume
- 36
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0146-6615
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✦ Synopsis
Abstract
A hepatitis B vaccination campaign was carried out in a town of 60,000 inhabitants, Afragola, Campania, Italy, a hyperendemic area for hepatitis B where HBsAg prevalence was 13.4% and anti‐HBc prevalence was 64.7%. This experimental pilot project aimed to reduce the incidence of both acute and asymptomatic viral hepatitis B and of related chronic liver complications. From 1983‐1989, 8,400 subjects were vaccinated: 6,900 children up to 10 years of age and 1,500 subjects from 11‐60 years of age. High seroconversion rates were observed: 99.0% in all children under one year of age, 96.0% in the older children, and 86.7% in adults. The rate of infection in Afragola has diminished from 63/100,000 in 1983 to 10/100,000 in 1989. Carriers of HbsAg decreased in the general population (7.3% com‐ pared to 13.4%). especially in children up to 10 years of age (1.0 compared to 9.0%). In babies who received hepatitis B vaccine at the same time as compulsory vaccinations compliance was 98% while it was 80% in babies who were vaccinated separately.
In June 1991 the Italian Parliament promulgated a decree which imposes hepatitis B vaccination for all newborn babies at 3, 5, and 1 1months of age, at the same times as the mandatory childhood accinations (diphtheria, tetanus, and polio) according t o a new protocol (Piazza scheme) which has been in use since January 1987 in our pilot vaccination campaign in Afragola.