PEDIATRICS Vol. 120 No. 1 July 2007, pp. 189-199 (doi:10.1542/10.1542/peds.2007-1088)
POLICY STATEMENT |
Hepatitis A Vaccine Recommendations
Since licensure in 1995 of a hepatitis A vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics have been implementing an incremental hepatitis A immunization strategy for children. In 1996, children living in populations with the highest rates of disease were targeted for immunization, and in 1999 the program was expanded to immunization of children 2 years and older living in states and counties with rates of hepatitis A that historically have been higher than the national average. The 1999 program has been successful; the current rate of hepatitis A is the lowest ever reported in the United States. Regional, ethnic, and racial differences in the incidence of hepatitis A have been eliminated. The incidence of hepatitis A in adults in immunizing states has decreased significantly, suggesting a strong herd-immunity effect associated with immunization. In 2005, the US Food and Drug Administration changed the youngest approved age of administration of hepatitis A vaccine from 24 to 12 months of age, which facilitated incorporation of the vaccine into the recommended childhood immunization schedule. As the next step in the implementation of the incremental vaccine immunization strategy, the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends routine administration of a Food and Drug Administration–licensed hepatitis A vaccine to all children 12 to 23 months of age in all states according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–approved immunization schedule. Available data suggest that hepatitis A vaccine can be coadministered with other childhood vaccines without decreasing immunogenicity. Hepatitis A vaccines have proven to be extremely safe. In prelicensure clinical trials of both Havrix (GlaxoSmithKline, Rixensart, Belgium) and Vaqta (Merck & Co Inc, Whitehouse Station, NJ), adverse events were uncommon and mild when they occurred, with resolution typically in less than 1 day. Hepatitis A vaccine is contraindicated in people with a history of severe allergic reaction to a previous dose of hepatitis A vaccine or to a vaccine component. Because the hepatitis A vaccine is an inactivated product, no special precautions are needed for administration to people who are immunocompromised. No data exist about administration of the hepatitis A vaccine to pregnant women, but because it is not a live vaccine, the risk to mother and fetus should be extremely low to nonexistent.
Key Words: hepatitis A • immunization • prevention • epidemiology • child
Abbreviations: FDA—Food and Drug Administration • CDC—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • ELU—enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay units • VAERS—Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System • QALY—quality-adjusted life-year
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Facebook 
Reddit 
Technorati 
Twitter What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  R. A. de Alencar Ximenes, C. M. T. Martelli, E. Merchan-Hamann, U. R. Montarroyos, M. C. Braga, M. L. C. de Lima, M. R. A. Cardoso, M. D. Turchi, M. A. Costa, L. C. A. de Alencar, et al. Multilevel analysis of hepatitis A infection in children and adolescents: a household survey in the Northeast and Central-west regions of Brazil Int. J. Epidemiol., August 1, 2008; 37(4): 852 - 861. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Alapati, A. Nagaraj, B. K. Rajegowda, R. J. Leggiadro, J. Jerome, and E. Moore Index of Suspicion in the Nursery NeoReviews, April 1, 2008; 9(4): e170 - e173. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 New Recommendations for Use of Hepatitis A Vaccine in Children Journal Watch Infectious Diseases, October 3, 2007; 2007(1003): 7 - 7. [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. A. Bocchini Jr. ACIP makes recommendations on hepatitis A vaccine vs. IG AAP News, August 1, 2007; 28(8): 8 - 8. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
