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Robert M. Craig, MD; Charles B. Clayman, MD

JAMA. 1985;254(22):3219.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

A disheartening aspect of the development of the hepatitis B vaccine is its limited use. A high degree of immunoreactivity and disease prophylaxis has been demonstrated in field trials; however, the vaccine has been underutilized even in high-risk, knowledgeable groups, including health care workers. Elsewhere in this issue of THE JOURNAL, Alter et al¹ have shown that only 6% of hemodialysis patients and 32% of hemodialysis staff have received all three hepatitis B vaccinations. Aside from financial considerations, the latter group has not availed itself of the vaccine mostly probably due to a fear of contracting the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), despite evidence to the contrary. Indeed, in male homosexuals, those who received the vaccine seem to have a lower incidence of AIDS than those who did not receive the vaccine.^2,3 In other populations, especially in underdeveloped countries, the cost of the vaccine has been a major impediment . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
Northwestern University Chicago

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