Advisory Panel Recommends Children be Vaccinated Against Hepatitis A
October 28, 2005
Newsinferno News Staff
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has voted unanimously to recommend that a two-dose vaccination be given young children. The committee's recommendations are routinely considered by health officials when setting federal vaccination guidelines and are considered persuasive by doctors.
The specific recommendation is that all children between 1 and 2 years of age be vaccinated against the hepatitis A virus, which attacks the liver and can cause fever, diarrhea, and jaundice.
The disease is sometimes caused by eating food contaminated with feces. In one major outbreak in 2003, contaminated green onions at a Chi-Chi's restaurant in the Beaver Valley Mall in Pennsylvania (U.S.), sickened 660 people and killed four. One victim needed a liver transplant and 58 others also contracted hepatitis A. So far, Chi-Chi's has settled hundreds of cases arising out of this incident for more than $40 million.
While only about 25% of hepatitis A cases occur in children, many adults are infected as a result of exposure to children who have the disease. Vaccinations would therefore aid in reducing the number of cases of hepatitis A in both demographics.
Currently, the government recommends Hepatitis A vaccinations for children in the 17 states where rates of the disease are the highest. The success of that program has leveled off, however, and health officials are concerned that rates may begin to increase.
It is estimated that expanding the recommendation to all the states could prevent 100,000 cases and 20 deaths in the lifetimes of children vaccinated in one year. Hepatitis A vaccines have been licensed since 1995; however they have only recently been approved for use in children as young as one.
