Vaccine making inroads against hepatitis B

While heralded as a success story, physicians are urged to stay the current course and to expand the vaccine's use to others at risk.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. Aug. 5, 2002.

Washington -- The introduction of the hepatitis B vaccine 20 years ago marked the decline of that disease and its accompanying serious health consequences in the United States -- a major public health achievement, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Before 1982, an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people in the United States were infected with hepatitis B, including 20,000 children.

Since then, an extensive campaign that saw the vaccination of about 40 million infants and children and 30 million adults has resulted in a decline in the number of those infected in this country to an estimated 79,000 in 2001. In addition, the disease has been virtually eliminated in the health profession because of high vaccination rates.

"It's been a wonderful vaccine and has saved millions of lives and will save millions more because of the risk posed by the disease for liver cancer and liver failure," said Deborah Wexler, MD, executive director and founder of the Immunization Action Coalition in St. Paul, Minn.

But despite its successful 20-year run, the vaccine still hasn't reached many of those at risk of infection by HBV, which is found in the blood and other body fluids of infected people. Contact with even a small amount of infected blood can cause infection.

Young adults and intravenous drug users are often missed in vaccination campaigns. A sweep through the nation's prisons could catch many of those carrying the virus. And by requiring student vaccinations, colleges could help with that group. [...]