The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown that incarcerated persons have a disproportionately greater burden of infectious diseases, including infections with hepatitis viruses, than the non-incarcerated population. Improved access to medical care and prevention strategies for incarcerated populations has the potential to benefit all communities through reduced disease transmission and lower medical costs. Additionally, inmates who participate in health-related programs while incarcerated have lower recidivism rates and are more likely to maintain health-conscious behaviors (MMWR, January 29, 2003, Vol. 52(RR-1). It is recommended that all inmates should receive hepatitis B vaccine and susceptible inmates in certain high-risk groups should receive hepatitis A vaccine, as well.

During summer 2003, the Immunization Program began the County Jail Hepatitis Vaccination Pilot. This program provides publicly funded hepatitis vaccine to local health departments to vaccinate inmates in their county jail facilities. Ten counties originally participated in the pilot, however interest in the program rapidly grew. As of December 2006, thirty-three counties in upstate New York have implemented hepatitis vaccination programs in their county jails. Over 4,200 doses of hepatitis vaccine have been administered to this population during the year 2006. As the program grows, we continue to collect data, such as vaccine doses administered, and valuable information such as barriers encountered, program implementation issues, and some useful solutions to how these challenges have been met. The information is helpful to others counties that are interested in developing strategies to better serve incarcerated populations in county jails.