The results of the review were as follows:
The prevalence of immunity to HAV was 50%.
The annual incidence of HAV infection was 0.01%.
Screening for HAV antibodies had a sensitivity of 99% and a specificity of 99%.
In the absence of an adverse effect of vaccination, 80% of patients in the selective and universal strategies who had received a primary dose were assumed to return for a booster dose at 6 months.
A single dose and an additional booster dose of Havrix at 6 months conferred immunity in 37.6% and 94.3% of individuals.
Of those patients vaccinated, 37.5% experienced an adverse effect.
Patients with serious reactions were hospitalised for 1 day.
Eighty percent of susceptible adult patients with HCV infected with HAV became symptomatic. In these patients, the risk of acute liver failure was 7%, the remainder having moderate hepatitis requiring 5 days of hospitalisation.
One third of patients with HCV with acute liver failure underwent orthotopic liver transplantation, of whom 50% would survive 5 years.
If not undergoing transplantation, mortality rate was 14.3%.