IMPLEMENTATION IN ITALY OF A UNIVERSAL VACCINATION PROGRAM AGAINST HEPATITIS-B

Italy was the first industrialized country to introduce mass vaccinati on against hepatitis B. Following the collection of epidemiological da ta on age-specific incidence rates of infection, a law was issued in 1 991 which established mandatory immunization of neonates and 12-year-o ld adolescents. This strategy will lead to the protection of all subje cts aged 0-24 years within 12 years and to the elimination of circulat ion of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in a few decades. The first data on com pliance with vaccination, both in infants and in adolescents, indicate the success of the programme, which was helped by good vaccination de livery sen,ices and awareness of the risks of hepatitis B both by phys icians and the public. A multicentre study on protective antibody leve l and kinetics over time is in progress. Preliminary results show an e xcellent response to vaccination. High-risk strategies will continue b y actively offering HBV vaccination free of charge to all those expose d to infection via occupation or life-style. The Italian policy of uni versal vaccination against HBV can therefore be regarded as a model fo r the introduction of mass immunization into other countries.