Control of a Community-Wide Outbreak of Hepatitis A by Mass Vaccination with Inactivated Hepatitis A Vaccine

The epidemiology and control of hepatitis A virus was investigated during an outbreak of hepatitis A in a village in Israel. Postexposure administration of immune globulin to contacts was ineffective in controlling the outbreak. However, within 2 weeks of starting a mass immunization campaign with hepatitis A vaccine, the incidence of hepatitis A declined dramatically; the last case occurred 6 weeks after the immunization program began. The study demonstrated that while postexposure administration of immune globulin may diminish but not entirely arrest transmission of hepatitis A virus, active hepatitis A vaccination is a safe and effective intervention that can be used safely in hepatitis A virus antibody-positive children.