Guidelines for hepatitis A vaccination suggested.

2003 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Suggestions for the type of people who make the best candidates for hepatitis A vaccination have been published in a recent issue of the Journal of Viral Hepatitis.

According to recent research from India, "Though a potent vaccine represents a powerful preventive tool, the policy of its use is governed by epidemiological and economical factors. Hepatitis A, an enterically transmitted disease shows distinct association with socio-economic status, populations with improvement experiencing lower exposure to the virus. With the availability of vaccine, it is pertinent to consider its use in the effective control of the disease."

"However, with the varied epidemiological patterns and economical constraints in different countries it does not seem to be possible to evolve universal policy for immunization," said Vidya A. Arankalle and Mandeep S. Chadha at the National Institute of Virology in Maharashtra. "Though universal immunization may be the most effective way of control, the same is not practical for many countries. It is proposed that irrespective of endemicity of hepatitis A, high-risk groups such as travelers to endemic areas, patients suffering from chronic liver ...