Will Hepatitis A Become a Vaccine-Preventable Disease?
Authors: Harold S. Margolis
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1995)

Editorials15 March 1995Will Hepatitis A Become a Vaccine-Preventable Disease?Harold S. Margolis, MD and Miriam J. Alter, PhDHarold S. Margolis, MDCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333 and Miriam J. Alter, PhDCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-122-6-199503150-00011 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Fifty years ago, hepatitis A was a common disease worldwide and most people had been infected with the hepatitis A virus (HAV) by the time they were young adults. Now, patterns of HAV transmission differ markedly among geographic regions throughout the world. In developing countries, most of the population is infected before 10 years of age, and HAV is the most frequent cause of acute hepatitis in children [1]. Most children less than 5 years of age do not have clinically evident infection, but they efficiently transmit HAV to their contacts in the household and in the community [2]. In ...References1. Hadler SC. Global impact of hepatitis A virus infection changing patterns. In: Hollinger FB, Lemon SM, Margolis HS, eds. Viral Hepatitis and Liver Disease: Proceedings of the 1990 International Symposium on Viral Hepatitis and Liver Disease: Contemporary Issues and Future Prospects. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins; 1991:14-20. Google Scholar2. Hadler SC, McFarland L. Hepatitis in day care centers: epidemiology and prevention. Rev Infect Dis. 1986; 8:548-57. Google Scholar3. Kremastinou J, Kalapothaki V, Trichopoulos D. The changing epidemiologic pattern of hepatitis A infection in urban Greece. Am J Epidemiol. 1984; 120:703-6. Google Scholar4. Halliday ML, Kang LY, Zhou TK, Hu MD, Pan QC, Fu TY, et al. An epidemic of hepatitis A attributable to the ingestion of raw clams in Shanghai, China. 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Google Scholar20. Robertson BH, D'Hondt EH, Spelbring J, Tian H, Krawczynski K, Margolis HS. Effect of postexposure vaccination in a chimpanzee model of hepatitis A virus infection. J Med Virol. 1994; 43:249-51. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333Corresponding Author: Harold S. Margolis, MD, Hepatitis Branch (A-33), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333. 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He has heard about a new "shot" to prevent hepatitis A. What precautions and advice should be given to prevent this risk?Key Recent Literature 15 March 1995Volume 122, Issue 6Page: 464-465KeywordsChildrenHepatitis AImmunityInfantsMedical risk factorsPediatric infectionsPoliomyelitisRacial and ethnic issuesVaccinesYoung adults Issue Published: 15 March 1995 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1995 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...