Hepatitis B virus infection among children born in the United States to Southeast Asian refugees

Article Abstract:

Infections with hepatitis type B virus (HBV) are widespread in Asian countries. In childhood HBV is usually acquired either from the mother or another child. The United States, in contrast, does not have a high rate of HBV infections, and it is of some concern that many infected Southeast Asians refugees are settling in the US. The incidence of child-to-child transmission in the US is unknown. Although a HBV vaccine can be given to the infants of mothers infected with the virus, this cannot prevent the transmission of HBV from child to child. When the virus is acquired early in life, the infected person is more likely to become a chronic carrier of the disease and eventually die early of liver disease. A HBV detection test was performed on 257 children born in the US of Southeast Asian parents to study the patterns of transmission. Of the 31 children born to infected mothers, 17 tested positive for HBV. Fifteen of the remaining 226 children born to non-infected mothers had HBV infection. The risk for acquiring the infection was higher in households with HBV-infected children. However, the risk of a child's becoming infected by HBV was not affected by living in households with infected adults. Children testing positive for HBV that lived in households having no infected individuals, had a 3.9 percent infection rate. Since almost half the infected children did not acquire the HBV infection from infected mothers during pregnancy, child-to-child contact may be responsible for HBV transmission. Since vaccination of children born of infected mothers will not prevent infections obtained from child-to-child contact, it is suggested that all children born to Southeast Asian immigrants be vaccinated.

Health aspects, Prevention, Disease transmission, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis B vaccine, Hepatitis B vaccines, Refugees, Southeast Asian, Southeast Asian refugees

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Influenza vaccine for healthy adults?

Article Abstract:

It may be medically advisable but not necessarily cost-effective to routinely vaccinate all healthy adults with a flu vaccine. Researchers have estimated that influenza costs $12 billion in medical and work loss expenses every year. However, a recent study to evaluate the health benefits and cost-effectiveness of routine influenza vaccines in healthy adults may overestimate both the rates of influenza and the cost benefits. These flawed calculations may result in a negligible cost benefit of a routine influenza vaccine in healthy adults. The research community should encourage efforts to develop a more cost-effective and more widely available influenza vaccine. Vaccinating the elderly and people in occupations exposed to a large number of people is still strongly advisable. Healthy adults should receive an influenza vaccine, if they wish, unless there are medical reasons to the contrary.

Editorial

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Influenza vaccination for healthy young adults

Article Abstract:

Healthy young adults probably do not need the influenza vaccine unless they live with someone who is at high risk for influenza. High-risk groups include pregnant women, the elderly, and children and adults with certain chronic diseases. These groups should be vaccinated first, especially if the vaccine is in short supply.

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