Most adults in the United States are not immune to hepatitis A or hepatitis B, a new study indicates.
Scientists based in Minnesota analyzed years of data from a national survey and found that a minority of those with results from hepatitis A and hepatitis B testing showed immunity to the diseases.
Hepatitis B vaccination at birth has been recommended since 1991, and for adults without childhood vaccination in recent years. Hepatitis A vaccination was recommended in the 1990s for certain groups, a recommendation later expanded to nearly all children.
“This study found that viral hepatitis protection among U.S. adults was suboptimal, suggesting that targeted, systematic vaccination strategies for hepatitis A and B is warranted,” Dr. Giovanni Roldan, with the University of Minnesota, and co-authors said in the paper, which was published by the Journal of the American Medical Association on Aug. 17. …