Hepatitis B Vaccine Use in Chronic Hemodialysis Centers in the United States
- Miriam J. Alter, PhD;
- Martin S. Favero, PhD;
- James E. Maynard, MD, PhD
Abstract
The Centers for Disease Control surveyed 1,255 chronic hemodialysis centers in the United States in 1983 to assess the use of hepatitis B vaccine as well as the risk of acquiring hepatitis B among both patients and staff. The response rate to a mailed questionnaire was 90%. Seventy-one percent of the centers reported that they gave vaccine, but only an estimated 6% of susceptible patients and 32% of susceptible staff received all three doses of vaccine. Centers more likely to give vaccine included those that provided dialysis to large patient populations and those that provided dialysis for hepatitis B surface antigen-positive patients. As a result of vaccine administration, the overall prevalence of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen increased significantly, to 18% for patients and 39% for staff. Extensive use of the vaccine in the future, combined with infection control practices, could virtually eliminate the risk of acquiring hepatitis B virus infection in hemodialysis centers.
(JAMA 1985;254:3200-3202)
Footnotes
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Reprint requests to Hepatitis Branch, Division of Viral Diseases, Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA 30333 (Dr Alter).
