Universal hepatitis B vaccination
In June 2007 the BMA annual representatives meeting voted in favour of adding the BMA’s voice to that of other UK expert groups, calling on the Department of Health (DH) to introduce the hepatitis B vaccine to the UK childhood schedule without delay.
The World Health Organization (WHO) had called for the global introduction of a vaccine prevention programme by 1997. By 2005, 82 per cent of countries in the world had introduced universal hepatitis B immunisation with 55 per cent of the world’s children now receiving three doses of the vaccine.
The UK advocates an “at risk” policy due to the low incidence of hepatitis B in the UK compared to other countries. The argument raises the point that in the UK there are 180,000 people chronically infected with the virus and they can transmit infection to the un-immunised population. With increasing travel and migration the risk of transmission is increased. See Pollard, AJ (2007) BMJ, 335, p. 950.