Category : Healthcare
Vaccination is one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century. Hepatitis B virus causes liver cancer in both men and women while Human Papillomavirus causing cervical cancer in women can be prevented by vaccination against the respective virus. On the eve of world hepatitis B vaccination day let us have a glimpse of the need for vaccines.
Hepatitis B infection is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus. It is transmitted by blood transfusion, reusing syringes, needle pricks, sexual contact and from infected mother to newborn baby. Hepatitis B infection is easily transmitted than HIV and Hepatitis C infection.
The prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in India is 1.46 percent with 17 million chronic carriers. With the introduction of the Hepatitis B vaccine in the national program from 2002-2003 there is a lower prevalence of infection in children.
People with hepatitis B infection may be asymptomatic and many are carriers of the virus and tend to transmit the disease. They are unaware of the disease unless tested or liver disease occurs. The symptoms of hepatitis B include nausea, vomiting, jaundice and may resolve spontaneously. Chronic hepatitis B infections account for 40-50 percent of liver cancer and 10-20 percent cases of cirrhosis in India. Treatment against hepatitis B virus-infected patients is aimed to prevent progression to chronic liver infection and its complications of cirrhosis and cancer.
Prevention is better than cure. Vaccination of all newborn babies with 0.5ml hepatitis B vaccine at birth followed by vaccination at one month of age and at 6months is effective in preventing transmission of infection to newborn. Alternatively, vaccination at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age infant is equally effective. Adults who have missed vaccination previously can be vaccinated at 0, 1 and 6 months with 1ml of a vaccine. Booster doses may be required for health care professionals and people requiring hemodialysis. Screening of blood for hepatitis B infection before transfusion is standard practice across the world.
Screening of all pregnant mothers for hepatitis B infection is essential to detect pregnant mothers who are carriers of the virus, so that immunoglobulin against the hepatitis B virus is given to newborn babies along with the hepatitis B vaccine to prevent transmission of the virus to babies at birth. Continuing national immunization programmes and immunization of all newborn babies are essential in controlling infection transmission to the youths of our nation.