HEPATITIS-B VACCINATION - UNIVERSAL VACCINATION OF NEWBORN BABIES ANDCHILDREN AT 12 YEARS OF AGE VERSUS HIGH-RISK GROUPS - A COMPARISON INTHE FIELD

From 1983 to 1993 two anti-hepatitis B vaccinal strategies were adopte d in two small towns of Southern Italy at high incidence for HBV infec tions: Afragola (prevalence of HBsAg carriers of 13.4%) and Frattamagg iore (prevalence of HBsAg carriers of 12.9%). In Afragola, the univers al vaccination of infants in their first year of life and adolescents at 12 years of age was carried out, while in Frattamaggiore the select ive vaccination of high risk groups of population was introduced, Duri ng this study, the changes in the HBV infection endemicity in both tow ns has been tested by monitoring the incidence of new cases of viral h epatitis B and by the prevalence study of HBsAg carriers prior to and 10 years after the beginning of the immunization programme (1978-1993) . The results suggest that universal vaccination of infants in the fir st year of life and adolescents at 12 years of age has a greater effic iency on the improvement on the endemic status of the infection in the general population in comparison with selective vaccination, when the incidence of new cases of disease and the prevalence of number of HBs Ag and anti-HBc carriers in the two populations are considered.