KEYWORD1:
Hepatitis, Adult Vaccination, Non-Traditional Clinic, Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)

BACKGROUND:
San Francisco has approximately 55,000 gay and bisexual men residing in the city. Among 3600 MSM seeking HIV testing services in 2001, less than 16% had been vaccinated for hepatitis A, and less than 20% had been vaccinated for hepatitis B. Working with an existing community advisory group, the SFDPH set up a vaccination clinic inside a local gym.

OBJECTIVE:
To create a convenient, affordable non-traditional site for vaccination; to assess the ongoing need for a non-traditional vaccination site targeting MSM; and to provide hepatitis education and awareness in a community setting.

METHOD:
After building community support, a makeshift clinic was created that was open 3 hours a day, two days a week for 6 months. Hepatitis A, B and Twinrix (the bivalent A and B vaccine) vaccines were offered at discounted prices for cash only payments. Demographic information was collected on shot recipients, and clients anonymously completed questionnaires asking about life style, health care behaviors, insurance, and reasons for seeking vaccinations. The clinic was promoted via flyers, media (print, TV and StopHep website), and outreach workers. Reminder post cards were sent (and continue to be sent) to everyone needing return visits.

RESULT:
Impact data will be available in early 2003. At project’s end (in November 2002), 552 immunizations were administered (averaging one shot every 20 minutes), almost 60% of which were the bivalent vaccine. Preliminary feedback received from clients has been positive.

CONCLUSION:
Data will be used to determine the overall effectiveness and impact of this project. It will also reveal the feasibility and practicality of a continued vaccination effort at a non-traditional site in the MSM community.
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES:
Participants will learn about the successes and failures of establishing a six-month pilot hepatitis vaccination and education clinic for MSM at a non-traditional community site.