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RESEARCH AND PRACTICE |
Matthew E. Wise and Frank Sorvillo are with the Department of Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, Calif.
Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Matthew E. Wise, MPH, UCLA Dept of Epidemiology, Center for the Health Sciences, Rm 71254, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 900951772 (e-mail: mawise{at}ladhs.org).
Objectives. We estimated the hepatitis A (HA) mortality rate in California, assessed demographic differences in HA-related mortality, and examined comorbidities listed on death certificates in order to provide information for health policy and planning related to HA vaccination.
Methods. We identified HA-related deaths in California from 1989 to 2000 with multiple-cause-of-death files and calculated mortality rates and rate ratios.
Results. We identified 402 HA-related deaths between 1989 and 2000; the annual age-adjusted HA-related mortality rate was 1.20 deaths per 1 million persons. Older individuals, men, Latinos, and American Indians/Alaska Natives had elevated mortality rates. Liver conditions and non-A viral hepatitis infections were more common among HA-related deaths than among all other deaths.
Conclusions. Current immunization practices should be reevaluated and the expansion of current vaccination guidelines for groups that have elevated HA-related mortality rates should be considered.
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