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Learning Objective:
By the end of the presentation participants will be able to describe the mandate for hepatitis vaccination and our success, or lack thereof, in accomplishing this mandate since it was made in 1982.
By the end of the presentation participants will be able to describe five essential features of a successful hepatitis vaccination program with people injecting.
Background:
Chicago Recovery Alliance has been operating harm reduction outreach with syringe exchange since 1992. As our work developed we added to our intial motivation of HIV prevention to include broader health needs of people injecting including hepatitis vaccination.
Setting:
A large program of harm reduction outreach with syringe exchange in Chicago.
Population e.g. API Youth, MSM, IDU:
All people injecting illicit drugs.
Project Description:
CRA developed a program of hepatitis vaccination modeled after the Berkeley Free Clinic's prgram entitled "Hepatitis Testing, Education and Vaccination (HEP-TEV). CRA's' medical director oversees this program which was adapted to our outreach in Chicago to offer hepatitis A/B vaccination to all of our eligible participants.
Results/Lessons Learned:
CRA staff and volunteers have administered over 8,000 doses of hepatitis A/B vaccine since 1997. CRA participants have earned an 84% completion rate among all those initiating vaccination.
These results show the success possible in developing new models of hepatitis vaccination which are culturally and economically sensitive to people injecting.
Web Page: anypositivechange.org
See more of A3 - Vaccination Strategies for Injection Drug Users
See more of The 2005 National Viral Hepatitis Prevention Conference