INTRODUCTION OF UNIVERSAL HEPATITIS-B IMMUNIZATION IN SWITZERLAND

The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health and the Advisory Board on Im munisation recommended that all adolescents aged 11 to 15 should be va ccinated against hepatitis B in December 1997. The introduction of uni versal immunisation is justified for epidemiological and economical re asons. Universal immunisation in no way excludes the immunisation of a ll persons exposed to a specific risk and the prenatal screening and i mmunisation of exposed new-borns. Hepatitis B vaccines are safe and hi ghly effective. The main reasons for this recommendation are summarise d in the article.