Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine

NEW ORLEANS — Quality improvement projects focused on education and multidisciplinary cooperation have been successful at improving hepatitis B vaccination rates among neonates, according to a pair of studies presented at the AAP National Conference & Exhibition.

The rate of vaccine exemptions rose slightly among children entering kindergarten in the 2018-2019 school year, with 2.5% having an exemption from at least one vaccine, according to new data published in MMWR. But researchers suggested an additional target to improve vaccine coverage rates in the United States: underimmunized children who begin school under grace periods or provisional enrollment.

A set of interventions aimed at increasing provider knowledge of routine newborn immunizations and addressing parental vaccine hesitancy improved vaccination rates in one NICU from 56% to 93%, according to a quality improvement study published in Pediatrics.

WASHINGTON — A trivalent hepatitis B virus vaccine demonstrated noninferiority in adults older than age 18 years and superiority in adults aged 45 years or older compared with a monovalent vaccine, according to phase 3 study data presented at IDWeek.

Infants were less likely to be late on vaccinations when their parents received 6 weeks of paid family leave, especially those born to families living below the poverty line, according to a report published in IZA Institute of Labor Economics Discussion Papers.

The rate of newly diagnosed acute and chronic hepatitis B virus infections in women of childbearing age has significantly increased in some Appalachian states, despite overall national rates that have declined or remained stable.

Drug shortages continue to inundate our health care system. They have paralyzed pharmacies and affected hundreds of thousands of patients. Although drug shortages are not new, they have significantly increased since 2007. From 2006 to 2007, there was nearly a 50% spike in shortages, and the number of shortages has remained high annually, with the highest number — 267 — reported in 2011. The cause of drug shortages is multifactorial and many times unpredictable. Manufacturing and quality issues, delays in production, raw product availability, discontinuations by manufacturers, and natural disasters are noted to be the major reasons for shortages. Drug shortages present a serious public health challenge and a strain on the health care system from a resource management perspective. Also, they contribute to an increase in overall health care costs. The FDA, professional organizations (eg, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) and pharmaceutical companies have committed to manage and prevent shortages and are working to identify key strategies and solutions to minimize harm to patients.