A statewide hepatitis B vaccination program for school children in Hawaii: vaccination series completion and participation rates over consecutive school years.
OBJECTIVE
The authors assessed a statewide school-based Hepatitis B (HepB) vaccination program for preadolescents in Hawaii over three consecutive school years. Factors assessed included number of schools and students participating and number of students receiving three doses of hepatitis B vaccine.


METHODS
Records of the program, which targeted 4th and/or 5th graders in public and private schools, were reviewed for the period from 1996 to 1999.


RESULTS
The proportion of participating schools increased from 76% of all schools in the state in School Year 1 to 94% in School Year 3. The proportion of children with completed consent forms who received three doses of HepB vaccine at school exceeded 80% throughout the project. In School Year 1, 10,003 (70%) of 14,333 children enrolled at participating schools received three vaccine doses in school; however, this proportion declined over subsequent school years to 51% (7,722/15,013) in School Year 2 and 24% (7,344/30,429) in School Year 3. A survey of 477 parents not consenting to school vaccination indicated that 84% of their children completed the vaccine series at a private provider office.


CONCLUSIONS
Statewide school-based HepB vaccination campaigns for at-risk populations can result in a majority of children in targeted age groups receiving three doses of hepatitis B vaccine, though declining participation may be observed as uptake in the private sector increases.
Dilraj
Athmanundh
A
HIV Prevention and Vaccine Research Unit, Medical Research Council, Congella, South Africa.
Strait-Jones
Judeth
J
Nagao
Marcia
M
Cui
Kate
K
Terrell-Perica
Steven
S
Effler
Paul V
PV
D002648:Child; D006254:Hawaii; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017149:Private Sector; D011635:Public Health Administration; D017150:Public Sector; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines