Congress objectives.

Abstract

In 1993, the Viral Hepatitis Prevention Board (VHPB) recognized that selective vaccination of individuals at high risk from hepatitis B had failed to control the spread of hepatitis B. The Action towards Control of Hepatitis B as a Community Health Risk was therefore established to provide information and make recommendations on actions to take to combat hepatitis B in the community. The VHPB supports the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation that universal hepatitis B vaccination for all infants and/or adolescents should be integrated into the national immunization programme in all countries by 1997. The VHPB met regularly throughout 1993 to consider the issues involved in implementing universal strategies and to develop practical solutions that can help all countries meet the WHO goal. During this congress the feasibility of implementing universal infant and/or adolescent vaccination strategies were explored by reviewing the seroprevalence data in Europe, development of cost-benefit models and progress in countries that have already implemented universal vaccination. With the delegates' input, resolutions were reached that will guide future action towards meeting the WHO goal and combating hepatitis B in the community.