Developing partnerships in Washington State to prevent hepatitis B virus infection in Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to describe the partnerships and activities of the Washington State Asian and Pacific Islander Task Force on Hepatitis B Immunization to: 1) increase hepatitis B vaccination of older Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) children and 2) prevent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Washington State.

METHODS

Multiple strategies were used to increase hepatitis B vaccination rates among AAPI children, including developing a Task Force consisting of members from public and private organizations. Specific strategies included: 1) developing and distributing culturally specific hepatitis B educational materials, 2) supporting a household cluster survey to assess hepatitis B vaccination coverage rates of AAPI children, 3) conducting hepatitis B immunization and blood testing clinics at local Chinese language schools, and 4) conducting outreach through media sources.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Hepatitis B vaccination data from two clinics with large numbers of AAPI clients were evaluated for children aged 0 to 19 years. The results suggest that the average number of hepatitis B vaccinations given per month has been increasing between 1995 through March 2001. Although no causal association between vaccination rates and activities of the Task Force can be made, these data suggest that our efforts may have had a positive impact.

CONCLUSIONS

Hepatitis B prevention efforts in a high-risk community can be accomplished in partnership with the AAPI community and organizations working with these communities. Collaborations require persistence, patience, flexibility, and creativity to achieve community and public health goals.