title: Hepatitis B in New Zealand children: the 1985 national immunisation survey.
abstract: In April 1985 a national immunisation survey was conducted, in the course of which blood samples were collected from 3000 randomly selected children throughout the country. There were 1000 new school entrants (mean age 5 years), 1000 standard 3 pupils (mean age 10 years), and 1000 form 4 students (mean age 15 years). The sera were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen, antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen, and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen, by ELISA. The prevalence of infection rose with age until by 15 years of age 13.1% of the study population (8.2% of the European and 42.0% of the Maori children) were marker positive. At all ages, Maori children were five times more likely to be positive for any marker, and approximately thirteen times more likely to be positive for antigen (actively infected), than the European children. Even when the data had been standardised for age and race, children resident in the eastern North Island were still almost three times more at risk than children in the South Island. Children in the remaining areas of the North Island were at approximately equal degrees of risk, intermediate between the high and low endemic areas mentioned. We conclude that universal childhood immunisation is necessary to control horizontal transmission of heptatis B virus in New Zealand.
authors.affiliation: National Health Institute, Porirua.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Tobias
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Clements
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006306:Health Surveys; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens