Target Chickenpox, Hepatitis B,

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CDC 06/30/05

UNITED STATES: " Target Chickenpox, Hepatitis B, Advisers Say "

Atlanta Journal-Constitution (06.30.05):: Wahlberg

Yesterday in Atlanta, CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization

Practices

bolstered childhood vaccine recommendations in a bid to eliminate

hepatitis

B virus (HBV) and chickenpox.

HBV vaccine was first recommended for children in 1991. HBV, which can

cause

long-term liver damage or cancer, affects 80,000 people a year - mostly

adults. While it is commonly spread via unprotected sex or IV drug use,

HBV

can be transmitted from mothers to infants. Current guidelines

recommend the

first HBV dose be given within two hours of birth but say it can be

given up

to two months of age if the mother is HBV-negative.

If approved by CDC administrators, the new recommendations would tell

doctors to ensure that newborns get their first vaccine dose before

leaving

the hospital, even if their mothers test negative for HBV. Physicians

would

be instructed to explain any exceptions in patient medical records.

The panel also urged mandatory chickenpox immunization for students

entering

middle school, high school, or college, and booster shots during

outbreaks

of the disease, which are often triggered by immunized children who

develop

a mild strain of chickenpox that still can be spread.

CDC administrators must endorse the new recommendations before they

become

federal policy, and approval is expected on both issues. In general,

doctors

follow CDC vaccine guidelines, and insurance plans typically pay for

the

recommended shots.

M

erinrmos@...

California

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