Hepatitis B vaccination for injection drug users--Pierce County, Washington, 2000

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2001 May 18;50(19):388-90, 399.

Abstract

Hepatitis B vaccination has been recommended for injection drug users (IDUs) since 1982, but vaccination coverage of IDUs remains low (1), and outbreaks of hepatitis B among IDUs continue to occur. An outbreak of hepatitis B primarily among IDUs in Pierce County, Washington, detected in April 2000, included 60 cases and resulted in three deaths among IDUs co-infected with hepatitis delta virus. A program to administer hepatitis B vaccine to IDUs was implemented to control the outbreak, and the number of cases identified decreased from 13 per month in May to two cases since November. This report describes a vaccination program during which IDUs accepted hepatitis B vaccination provided free of charge in community-based settings and illustrates how effective hepatitis B vaccination programs targeted at IDUs can be implemented through collaborations between departments of health and corrections and community organizations.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Community Health Services
  • Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control
  • Hepatitis B / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis B / prevention & control*
  • Hepatitis B Vaccines* / administration & dosage
  • Humans
  • Immunization Programs*
  • Middle Aged
  • Substance Abuse, Intravenous*
  • Washington / epidemiology

Substances

  • Hepatitis B Vaccines