Update on Hepatitis B Prevention

Abstract

Since plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine was licensed for use in the United States in 1982, use of the vaccine in high-risk health care professions has been modest, despite widespread participation in the establishment of vaccination programs among these institutions. The incidence of hepatitis B virus infection has continued to increase in the past 5 years, presumably because vaccination programs have failed to reach the major risk groups of homosexual men, parenteral drug abusers, and heterosexually active persons with multiple sexual partners. Increased efforts toward the development of programs to vaccinate persons in all high-risk groups are recommended. The immunogenicity, safety, efficacy, and precautions involved in the use of a new recombinant DNA vaccine (licensed in 1986) are also discussed, and the need for booster doses of plasma-derived vaccine are evaluated.