The risk of hepatitis B virus infection among Asian and Pacific Islander (API) children aged 7-18 years in the United States is substantially higher than among U.S.-white children the same age. Two national goals set to help reduce this risk are 1)the Healthy People 2000 goal to reduce the estimated annual hepatitis B cases in API children from 10,817 in 1987 to 1,500 in 2000, and 2)the goal of the National Task Force on Hepatitis B Immunization, Focus on APIs, organized in 1997, to ensure that 90% or more of all API children aged £18 years have received the hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) series by the close of 2000. National surveys indicate almost 90% of API children born since 1993 complete the series by their third birthday, while 1998 surveys in six cities indicated only 40% of those born before 1994 had been vaccinated. Special efforts to ensure API children receive HepB are ongoing in a number of states. Interventions and results of 1999/2000 coverage surveys in Los Angeles schools, and Houston, Dallas, and Washington DC areas will be reviewed along with interventions in Chicago and Atlanta and in Asian language schools in Seattle, Sacramento, and Houston. Plans for coverage surveys and interventions in New Jersey and Florida will also be presented. To achieve disease reduction and vaccination goals during 2000, in states with large API populations, documented successful catch-up HepB initiatives for the protection of all API children aged £18 years must be implemented as quickly as possible.
Learning Objectives: Attendance to this abstract presentation will allow the attendee to understand the current progress with API HepB catch-up and the need to achieve the year 2000 disease reduction and vaccination goals
Keywords: Hepatitis B, Special Populations
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.