Hepatitis B vaccination and injecting drug users.
This study seeks to test the feasibility of vaccinating injecting drug users for hepatitis B in primary care and to identify predictors of poor immune response. Two hundred and seventy-five injecting drug users were identified from the case notes of a large general practice in an area of high multiple deprivation in northwest Edinburgh and, where appropriate, offered hepatitis B vaccination followed by a post-vaccination serological test. We concluded that hepatitis B vaccination of drug users in primary care is both feasible and effective. This study was unable to identify a group at risk of vaccine failure, however, it found post-vaccination serological testing to be problematic and potentially misleading. Therefore, we would not recommend its routine use in a primary care setting. Significantly, prolonged primary courses were not associated with reduced efficacy. The findings indicate that an appropriate vaccination schedule for primary care should be flexible to maximise compliance.
Budd
John
J
Muirhouse Medical Group, Edinburgh. John.Budd@lothian.scot.nhs.uk
Robertson
Roy
R
Elton
Rob
R
D000328:Adult; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012606:Scotland; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines