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    Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2008 Apr;27(4):287-91.

    Universal hepatitis A vaccination in the United States: a call for action.

    Lieberman JM, Word BM, Jacobs RJ, Dagan R, Marchant CD.

    University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA. jay.m.lieberman@questdiagnostics.com

    Previous hepatitis A recommendations for the United States targeted vaccination of at-risk individuals and children living in states and communities with consistently elevated rates of hepatitis A. Recommendations now call for routine hepatitis A vaccination of all children in the United States beginning at age 1 year (12-23 months). Currently, vaccination coverage rates for hepatitis A remain below rates of other routine childhood vaccines. Achieving a national immunization rate greater than 90% for the recommended 2 doses of hepatitis A vaccine would lessen disease impact throughout society. Routine childhood immunization against hepatitis A can be a highly effective strategy to reduce infection in children and community transmission of the virus, and the elimination of indigenous transmission of hepatitis A is an attainable goal.

    PMID: 18316993 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

    Supplemental Content

    Patient drug information

    • Hepatitis A Vaccine (Havrix®, Vaqta®, Twinrix®)

      Hepatitis A is a serious liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). HAV is found in the stool of persons with hepatitis A. It is usually spread by close personal contact and sometimes by eating food or drinking...