Hepatitis B vaccination coverage of Vietnamese children in south-western Sydney

Vaccination coverage since the selective hepatitis B vaccination of neonates of highrisk group program introduced in 1987, was measured in 658 children from 301 Vietnamese families living in the southwestern Sydney. The vaccination rate of children born after the introduction of the program was twice that of children born before its implementation (OR=2.00, 95% Cl 1.65–2.42). The shorter the mother's duration of residency in Australia, the more likely her children were to be fully vaccinated (OR=2.49, 95% Cl 2.43-2.62). A catch-up vaccination program of older siblings is required to assist the public health strategy to reduce the morbidity and mortality from hepatitis B viral infection.