Consideraciones sobre la vacunación contra la hepatitis A / Considerations about hepatitis A vaccination

ABSTRACT

Hepatitis A is endemic in Chile with rates of 100 cases per 100.000 inhabitants/years, figure that triplicates in school age children. Its social impact justifies educational and other public work measures to control it. Vaccines are an effective but expensive control resourse. The vaccine elaborated with the inactive HM 175 strain, recently licensed in Chile, is immunogenic, effective and well tolerated in adults and children over 3 years old. Its main indication is for voyagers to endemic areas and patients with chronic liver diseases. In Chile, its individual prescription requires the assessment of patient's individual risk and basal immunological status. Its massive application requires a better knowledge of hepatitis A geographical distribution, age of infection and cost benefit ratios