Impact of a statewide childhood vaccine program in controlling hepatitis A virus infections in Alaska.
Historically, Alaska experienced cyclic hepatitis A virus (HAV) epidemics, and the HAV rate among Alaska Native people was significantly higher than among other racial/ethnic groups. We evaluated the impact of universal childhood vaccination, initiated in 1996, on HAV epidemiology in Alaska by analyzing HAV cases reported to the State of Alaska. HAV incidence in all age groups declined 98.6% from 60.0/100,000 in 1972-1995 to 0.9/100,000 in 2002-2007. The largest decrease (99.9%) was in Alaska Native people, whose incidence (0.3) in 2002-2007 was lower than the overall U.S. 2007 rate (1.0). Among age groups, the decrease (99.8%) among children aged 0-14 years was the largest. Routine childhood vaccination has nearly eliminated HAV infection in Alaska.
Singleton
Rosalyn J
RJ
Arctic Investigations Program, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Anchorage, AK 99508, USA. ris2@cdc.gov
Hess
Sarah
S
Bulkow
Lisa R
LR
Castrodale
Louisa
L
Provo
Ginger
G
McMahon
Brian J
BJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000413:Alaska / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D055815:Young Adult