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Hepatitis B vaccination campaign in a low endemicity area

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Abstract

Between January 1982 and December 1983 14,666 high-risk individuals in the Canton of Zurich, which has one million inhabitants, received 36,234 hepatitis B vaccine injections. The annual number of acute hepatitis B cases dropped from an estimated 220 to 280 in 1981 to 177 in 1982 and 133 in 1983. This drop of 40–50 % resulted mainly from reduced numbers of cases among health care workers, drug addicts and homosexuals. Vaccination was a factor responsible for the reduced incidence of hepatitis B among health care workers and drug addicts, high-risk categories substantial proportions of which had been vaccinated. There was no evidence of a secondary protective effect of vaccination extending to other high-risk groups.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Häldeliweg 4, 8044, Zurich, Switzerland

    P. J. Grob

  2. Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, 8044, Zurich, Switzerland

    M. Rickenbach & F. Gutzwiller

  3. Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland

    R. Steffen & S. Wagner

  4. Chief Medical Officer, Canton of Zurich, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland

    G. Kistler

  5. City Hospital Waid, 8037, Zurich, Switzerland

    M. Schmid

Authors
  1. P. J. Grob
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  2. M. Rickenbach
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  3. R. Steffen
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  4. S. Wagner
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  5. G. Kistler
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  6. M. Schmid
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  7. F. Gutzwiller
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Grob, P.J., Rickenbach, M., Steffen, R. et al. Hepatitis B vaccination campaign in a low endemicity area. Eur. J, Clin. Microbiol. 4, 408–411 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02148694

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02148694

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