Ruth Zimmermann1, Mirko Faber2, Sandra Dudareva1, Patrick Ingiliz3, Heiko Jessen4, Judith Koch1, Ulrich Marcus1, Kai Michaelis1, Thorsten Rieck1, Claudia Ruscher5, Birte Schilling6, Jakob Schumacher7, Dagmar Sissolak8, Janine Thoulass9, Jürgen J Wenzel10, Dirk Werber11, Daniel Sagebiel11. 1. Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Berlin, Germany. 2. Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: FaberM@rki.de. 3. Zentrum für Infektiologie, Berlin, Germany. 4. Praxis Jessen2 und Kollegen, Berlin, Germany. 5. Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Berlin, Germany; Postgraduate Training in Applied Epidemiology (PAE), Affiliated with the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden; State Office for Health and Social Affairs (LaGeSo), Berlin, Germany. 6. Local Public Health Authority, Berlin Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Germany. 7. Local Public Health Authority, Berlin Reinickendorf, Germany. 8. Local Public Health Authority, Berlin Mitte, Germany. 9. Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Berlin, Germany; Postgraduate Training in Applied Epidemiology (PAE), Affiliated with the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden. 10. National Consultant Laboratory for Hepatitis A and Hepatitis E, Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Medical Centre Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. 11. State Office for Health and Social Affairs (LaGeSo), Berlin, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To describe the characteristics of a large hepatitis A virus (HAV) outbreak among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Berlin and to assess the impact of measures implemented. METHODS: Cases of laboratory-confirmed, symptomatic HAV infection notified in Berlin, Germany between August 2016 and February 2018 were analysed using routine and enhanced surveillance data including genotyping results. Several studies involving different groups of participants were conducted to further investigate the outbreak, including surveys on knowledge and practices of HAV vaccination among physicians and vaccination coverage and determinants of vaccination status among MSM. The measures implemented were categorized by target group in a Gantt chart. To assess their impact, health insurance data on HAV vaccination uptake were analysed, comparing Berlin and other federal states. RESULTS: During the outbreak period, a total of 222 cases were reported (of which 91 were sequence-confirmed), with a peak in case numbers in January 2017. Physicians were aware of the existing vaccination recommendations, but vaccination coverage among 756 MSM was low, with 32.7% being completely vaccinated and 17.3% being incompletely vaccinated before 2017. HAV vaccination before 2017 was associated with being born in Germany (odds ratio 2.36) and HIV-positive (odds ratio 1.80). HAV monovalent vaccination uptake increased by 164% from 2016 to 2017 among males in Berlin, compared to 7% in other federal states. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple measures targeting the MSM community, physicians, and public health to increase HAV vaccination uptake were successfully implemented. To prevent future HAV outbreaks, we recommend monitoring vaccination coverage among MSM, promoting awareness of existing recommendations among physicians, and ensuring access for foreign-born and young MSM.
OBJECTIVES: To describe the characteristics of a large hepatitis A virus (HAV) outbreak among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Berlin and to assess the impact of measures implemented. METHODS: Cases of laboratory-confirmed, symptomatic HAV infection notified in Berlin, Germany between August 2016 and February 2018 were analysed using routine and enhanced surveillance data including genotyping results. Several studies involving different groups of participants were conducted to further investigate the outbreak, including surveys on knowledge and practices of HAV vaccination among physicians and vaccination coverage and determinants of vaccination status among MSM. The measures implemented were categorized by target group in a Gantt chart. To assess their impact, health insurance data on HAV vaccination uptake were analysed, comparing Berlin and other federal states. RESULTS: During the outbreak period, a total of 222 cases were reported (of which 91 were sequence-confirmed), with a peak in case numbers in January 2017. Physicians were aware of the existing vaccination recommendations, but vaccination coverage among 756 MSM was low, with 32.7% being completely vaccinated and 17.3% being incompletely vaccinated before 2017. HAV vaccination before 2017 was associated with being born in Germany (odds ratio 2.36) and HIV-positive (odds ratio 1.80). HAV monovalent vaccination uptake increased by 164% from 2016 to 2017 among males in Berlin, compared to 7% in other federal states. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple measures targeting the MSM community, physicians, and public health to increase HAV vaccination uptake were successfully implemented. To prevent future HAV outbreaks, we recommend monitoring vaccination coverage among MSM, promoting awareness of existing recommendations among physicians, and ensuring access for foreign-born and young MSM.