A universal neonatal hepatitis B vaccination program was introduced in the Northern Territory in 1990. We compared live births with vaccine usage to determine the uptake of the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine under this new policy and to identift hospital factors that influenced this rate. Attitudes and vaccine administration practices were determined through interviews, using standard questions with midwifery and paediatric nursing staff at both hospitals. Hepatitis B vaccines dispensed at Hospital A indicated a 96 per cent coverage of neonates in 1993 and 93 per cent in 1994.
This study identified important issues in the decisions of people to immunise. It also highlighted the need to target the findings in effective immunisation policies and strategies to improve health outcomes for those at risk of adverse influenza events.
: We monitored the temperatures of batches of vaccine during transport and storage from a national warehouse to five Northern Territory vaccination clinics. Electronic temperature monitors were placed with vaccines, and were programmed to record the temperature every 30 minutes for up to three months. A diary was attached to each vaccine batch to record each change in location. The temperature recordings covered 8369 hours. There were regular temperature deviations outside the recommended range. In the hot climate of the Northern Territory, freezing is the greatest threat to vaccine potency. Recommendations from the study include: routine use of cold chain indicators, increased vaccine turnover and storage of vaccines within an operational temperature range of 4 to 8°C. Research is needed to investigate the efficacy of heat‐stable vaccines when stored at ambient temperatures and in air‐conditioned environments.
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