 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Beatriz Builes, MPH1, Rob Lyerla, PhD2, Cindy Weinbaum, MD MPH2, Kathryn Arnold, MD3, and Michelle Staples-Horne, MD MPH4. (1) Georgia Department of Health, 2 Peachtree Stree, NW 14-215, Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-463-4625, bbuiles@dhr.state.ga.us, (2) NCID/DVH/PB G-37, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30333, (3) Georgia Division of Public Health, 2 Peachtree Street NW, 14-222, Atlanta, GA 30303, (4) Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, 2 Peachtree Street, 5th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30303
Of acute cases of hepatitis B reported to the CDC, 15% occur in 1119 year olds; 80% in adults >20; minorities are disproportionately represented. Most adolescents with acute hepatitis B report no risk factors, but among those that do, about half are due to high-risk sexual activity and half to injection drug use. Hepatitis B vaccination of adolescents not only prevents infections in those at high risk, but provides immunity before becoming at risk of infection. Juvenile detention provide a setting in which high-risk adolescents can be identified and vaccinated. Of the 70 million Americans below age 18, approximately 2.5 million (4%) are arrested each year. A disproportionate number of incarcerated youth are of racial and ethnic minorities. In 1999 detention center populations were 40% black and 18% Hispanic. The Vaccines for Children (VFC), a Federal vaccine supply program, has made hepatitis B vaccine available to children and adolescents aged 0 through 18. Most incarcerated youth will be eligible for the VFC program through Medicaid or because they are uninsured The Georgia juvenile justice system implemented a system wide program for immunizing incoming detainees by partnering with the state immunization program and enrolling in Vaccines for Children. Critical components of the program were nurse education and infrastructure development, including an internal tracking system and linkage to statewide immunization system for series completion. Before program implementation, less than 200 per year had been immunized. In the first year of the program, 3197 of 31000 admissions received the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine, 2335 of these received a second dose, and 1339 received a third dose.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Hepatitis B, Adolescents
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.