J Korean Med Assoc.  2008 Feb;51(2):110-118. 10.5124/jkma.2008.51.2.110.

Recent Epidemiological Status and Vaccination of Hepatitis A in Korea

• Kim JH

• KMID: 2185728
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2008.51.2.110

Abstract

Hepatitis A is a vaccine preventable disease. Improvement in the socio-economic status and general public health of Korea over the last 30 years has led to a shift in the seroprevalence of hepatitis A. This lowered endemicity has caused an upward shift in the average age of infection, resulting in a larger number of individuals at risk of clinically significant hepatitis A infection. Now in Korea, for those aged less than 10 years old, the anti-HAV prevalence was above 50%, which is mainly contributed to the result of vaccination. However, the prevalences of antibody in the 10s and 20s were 10 to 30%, respectively, which are significantly lower than those in other age groups. As people in this age group are at high risk for an epidemic of hepatitis A, a catch-up immunization may be considered. Also, routine immunization should be considered in the near future after cost-effectiveness studies to control the disease burden of hepatitis A.

Keyword

Hepatitis A; Epidemiology; Hepatitis A vaccine; Immunization

MeSH Terms

Aged
Hepatitis
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A Antibodies
Hepatitis A Vaccines
Humans
Immunization
Korea
Prevalence
Public Health
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Vaccination
Hepatitis A Antibodies
Hepatitis A Vaccines

Figure

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  Figure 1 Summary of clinical, virologic, and serologic findings in uncomplicated acute hepatitis A.

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  Figure 2 Geographic distributions of acute hepatitis A in National Sentinel Surveillance System on 2006 (3).

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  Figure 3 Age-specific seroprevalence of anti-HAV in Korea on 2006 (22).

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  Figure 4 Seroepidemiologic changes of anti-HAV in Korea between 1979 and 2006 (22~25).

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  Figure 5 Sales amount of hepatitis A vaccine in Korea between 1998 and 2006 (unpublished data). *Sum of total doses during 1998~2006 ÷ sum of total birth number during 1997~2005 = 4,184,202 ÷ 5,027,893 = 41.6% (estimated hepatitis A vaccine coverage rate).

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