[Changes in endemicity of hepatitis A in Poland].

Hepatitis cases have been reported and notified in Poland as infectious disease since 1951. Numbers of cases of hepatitis type A were estimated for the years 1970-1996, and since 1997 separate reporting and notification of this disease was introduced. Up to 1977 high endemicity, in the years 1978-1996 middle endemicity, and since 1997 low endemicity of hepatitis A have been observed. Vaccinations against hepatitis A have been recommended by programme of immunization since 1996. Annually between 13 and 23 thousand persons were vaccinated (less than 1 promile), except the period just after the flood in 1997, when 166 thousand of persons were vaccinated (0.4%).