Impact and effectiveness of a mass hepatitis A vaccination programme of preadolescents seven years after introduction

Summary Aim To investigate the impact of a mass hepatitis A vaccination programme in preadolescents seven years after introduction in terms of its effectiveness and the prevented fraction. Setting The age distribution of notified cases and incidence rates in Catalonia (Spain) in the periods before (1992-1998) and after (1999-2005) introduction of the vaccination programme were compared. Main results The incidence rates in the whole population were 5.51 per 100,000 person-years in the 1992-1998 period and 2.98 in the 1999-2005 period. The rate reduction in the 10-19 years age group was 72.43% and was more than 45% in the 5-9 years and 20-29 years age groups. The effectiveness of the vaccination programme was 99.04 (95% CI: 93.11-99.88) and the prevented fraction in the 12-19 years age group was 90.13% (95% CI: 84.47-90.89). Conclusions The universal vaccination programme of preadolescents has had an important impact on hepatitis A in Catalonia, not only in vaccinated cohorts but also in non-vaccinated age groups due to a herd immunity effect.