Impact of hepatitis A vaccination of Indigenous children on notifications of hepatitis A in north Queensland.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the impact of a hepatitis A vaccination program for Indigenous children in north Queensland.

DESIGN

Enhanced surveillance of all notified cases of hepatitis A in north Queensland from 1996 to 2003.

SETTING

North Queensland; population, 596 500 people, including about 6900 Indigenous children aged under five years.

INTERVENTIONS

Hepatitis A vaccine was provided to Indigenous children in north Queensland from February 1999; two doses were recommended (at 18 months and 2 years of age), as was catch-up vaccination up to the sixth birthday.

RESULTS

In the 4 years 1996-1999, 787 cases of hepatitis A were notified in north Queensland, 237 (30%) of which were in Indigenous people. The average annual notification rates in Indigenous and non-Indigenous people during this period were 110 and 25 cases per 100 000 persons, respectively. In the first 4 years after introduction of the vaccination program (2000-2003), 66 cases of hepatitis A were notified. Only nine of the 66 (14%) were in Indigenous people. The average annual notification rates in Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in 2000-2003 were 4 and 2.5 cases per 100 000 persons, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Hepatitis A seems to have been eradicated from Indigenous communities in north Queensland very soon after the vaccination program began. The rapid decline in notifications in non-Indigenous as well as Indigenous people suggests the program quickly interrupted chains of transmission from Indigenous children to the broader community. To our knowledge this is the first evidence that a hepatitis A vaccination program targeting a high-risk population within a community can reduce disease in the broader community. Hepatitis A vaccine should be provided to other high-risk Indigenous children elsewhere in Australia.