Physician attitudes and practices regarding universal infant vaccination against hepatitis B infection in Minnesota: implications for public health policy.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8072819&dopt=Abstract

Pediatr Infect Dis J 1994 May;13(5):373-8

Physician attitudes and practices regarding universal infant vaccination against hepatitis B infection in Minnesota: implications for public health policy.

Loewenson PR, White KE, Osterholm MT, MacDonald KL.

Acute Disease Epidemiology Section, Minnesota Department of Health, Minneapolis 55440-9441.

Physician attitudes and practices regarding universal infant vaccination against hepatitis B virus infection in Minnesota were assessed approximately 1 year after publication of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee recommendations. Four-hundred eighteen Minnesota family physicians and pediatricians were sent self-administered questionnaires, with follow-up by telephone. Among physicians who provide care to infants, 67 (29%) of 234 family physicians and 29 (50%) of 58 pediatricians routinely offered hepatitis B vaccine to all infants (overall 33%) (P = 0.002). The recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians had the greatest positive influence on physicians' opinions regarding routine hepatitis B vaccination. The factors with the greatest negative influence on their opinions were the low prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in Minnesota and the addition of three injections to the current childhood immunization schedule. Universal infant hepatitis B vaccination remains controversial among Minnesota family physicians and pediatricians. We believe, given the variability in hepatitis B virus incidence and prevalence in the United States and the relatively low risk of most infants, that a single national policy based solely on universal infant immunization may be difficult to implement.

PMID: 8072819 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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* ►March 18, 2010 - Probe ordered into tainted vaccines - Report: Nearly 100 children died or fell ill in Shanxi after shots - China Daily - "The four who died after being administered tainted vaccines were 9-month-old Wang Xiao'er and 8-month-old Liu Ziyang from Luliang city; and 3-year-old Wang Shichao and Liu Yi from Yangquan city, the report said. Children from 74 families were crippled or developed serious diseases such as encephalitis after being vaccinated against hepatitis B, rabies, and type-B encephalitis, it said."

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