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Hepatitis B vaccination in Hong Kong
Author(s) -
LOK A. S. F.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1746.1993.tb01677.x
Subject(s) - medicine , vaccination , hepatitis b , family medicine , government (linguistics) , public health , hepatitis b vaccine , pediatrics , immunology , hepatitis b virus , nursing , hbsag , linguistics , philosophy , virus
The Government‐sponsored hepatitis B vaccination programme in Hong Kong was initiated in 1982. The programme initially provided hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) to newborns of carrier mothers only. During the past 8 years, the programme has expanded to include medical and health personnel, medical and dental students and dialysis patients. Universal vaccination of all newborns was implemented in 1988, with a 98% acceptance rate. In the near future the programme will extend to cover children born before 1988 and other polytransfused subjects. In addition, the medical community has been active in public education and in the encouragement of vaccination of other high risk groups. It is hoped that by the beginning of the twenty‐first century, most of the susceptible subjects in Hong Kong will have been vaccinated.