Hepatitis B vaccination rate of homeless children in Baltimore.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the hepatitis B vaccination rate in homeless children 2 to 18 years old living in Baltimore City.


METHODS
During a 21-month period, 250 children from homeless shelters were enrolled.


RESULTS
The percent of children who had received 3 or more doses of hepatitis B vaccine was inversely related to age; 90% in 2- to 5-year-olds and 29% in 13- to 18-year-olds (P<0.0001). Seventy percent of 2- to 5-year-olds had at least some of their vaccine history recorded in the Baltimore Immunization Registry Program but the history was complete in only half. Forty-two percent of 13- to 18-year-olds had no hepatitis B vaccine doses recorded in any source; 49 per cent of 10- to 18-year-olds were either not immunized or had received only one hepatitis B vaccine dose.


CONCLUSIONS
Hepatitis B vaccine coverage is high in homeless children up to 9 years of age, whereas the majority of homeless children 10 years of age and older are unprotected against hepatitis B virus infection. Tracking the vaccine records in homeless children is labor intensive. Better public health strategies to deliver hepatitis B vaccine to older homeless children are urgently needed.
Schwarz
K
K
Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA. kschwarz@jhmi.edu
Garrett
B
B
Lamoreux
J
J
Bowser
Y D
YD
Weinbaum
C
C
Alter
M J
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018453:Homeless Youth / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D008297:Male; D011634:Public Health; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines