Surveillance for acute viral hepatitis--United States, 2006.

Abstract

The expansion in 2006 of recommendations for routine hepatitis A vaccination to include all children in the United States aged 12-23 months is expected to reduce hepatitis A rates further. Ongoing hepatitis B vaccination programs ultimately will eliminate domestic HBV transmission, and increased vaccination of adults with risk factors will accelerate progress toward elimination. Prevention of hepatitis C relies on identifying and counseling uninfected persons at risk for hepatitis C (e.g., injection-drug users) regarding ways to protect themselves from infection and on identifying and preventing transmission of HCV in health-care settings.