@article {Budd444, author = {John Budd and Roy Robertson and Rob Elton}, title = {Hepatitis B vaccination and injecting drug users}, volume = {54}, number = {503}, pages = {444--447}, year = {2004}, publisher = {Royal College of General Practitioners}, abstract = {This study seeks to test the feasibility of vaccinating injecting drug users for hepatitis B in primary care and to identify predictors of poor immune response. Two hundred and seventy-five injecting drug users were identified from the case notes of a large general practice in an area of high multiple deprivation in northwest Edinburgh and, where appropriate, offered hepatitis B vaccination followed by a post-vaccination serological test. We concluded that hepatitis B vaccination of drug users in primary care is both feasible and effective. This study was unable to identify a group at risk of vaccine failure, however, it found post-vaccination serological testing to be problematic and potentially misleading. Therefore, we would not recommend its routine use in a primary care setting. Significantly, prolonged primary courses were not associated with reduced efficacy. The findings indicate that an appropriate vaccination schedule for primary care should be flexible to maximise compliance.}, issn = {0960-1643}, URL = {https://bjgp.org/content/54/503/444}, eprint = {https://bjgp.org/content/54/503/444.full.pdf}, journal = {British Journal of General Practice} }