Hepatitis A incidence and hepatitis a vaccination among American Indians and Alaska Natives, 1990-2001.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed the effect on trends in hepatitis A incidence of the 1996 recommendation for routine hepatitis A vaccination of American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) children.


METHODS
We examined trends in hepatitis A incidence among AIAN peoples during 1990-2001 and vaccination coverage levels among children on the largest American Indian reservation.


RESULTS
Hepatitis A rates among AIANs declined 20-fold during 1997-2001. Declines in hepatitis A incidence occurred among AIANs in reservation and metropolitan areas. Among 1956 children living on the Navajo Nation whose medical records were reviewed, 1508 (77.1%) had received at least one dose of hepatitis A vaccine, and 1020 (52.1%) had completed the vaccine series.


CONCLUSIONS
Hepatitis A rates among AIAN peoples have declined dramatically coincident with implementation of routine hepatitis A vaccination of AIAN children.
Bialek
Stephanie R
SR
Division of Viral Hepatitis, Mail Stop G-37, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. zqg7@cdc.gov
Thoroughman
Douglas A
DA
Hu
Diana
D
Simard
Edgar P
EP
Chattin
Jody
J
Cheek
Jim
J
Bell
Beth P
BP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000413:Alaska / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007198:Indians, North American; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012424:Rural Population; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*