HEPATITIS B

Hepatitis B is a disease of the liver caused by a virus infection. The virus causes destruction of the liver tissues and may lead to liver cancer later in life.

Hepatitis B is a serious disease and results in the death of over 2 million people worldwide each year. In fact the hepatitis B virus is 100 times more infectious than the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and there is virtually no guaranteed cure.

In India, there are an estimated 43 million carriers of this disease of which roughly 10% (i.e. 4.3 million) are supposed to be highly infectious. Accidental contact with such ‘carriers’ , who may be unaware of the virus that they are harboring, can transmit the virus to others.

Hepatitis B can be transmitted in a variety of ways and minimal amounts of blood & body fluids required for the spread of the disease makes it a serious disease.

Children can acquire the infection in two ways. Vertical transmission – where the infection is picked up from another child during interaction or contact during activities such as sports. The first is a significant mode of transmission.

Yes. Now that you understand how hepatitis B can be spread, you can probably think of the numerous ways it can spread in a school setting.

Physical education classes, athletic activities, etc. anywhere that students could get injured and bleed represent potential risk.

The major problem of dealing with hepatitis B is that the signs and symptoms of the disease is not very clear and discernable. In majority of infants and children, who are infected, there are no signs and symptoms. These are known as ‘Asymptomatic Cases’. The others, ‘Symptomatic Cases’, initially develop flu like symptoms like loss of appetite, tiredness, chills, mild fever and body ache. Later symptoms like Jaundice (yellowness of skin and eyes) pale faeces and dark urine may develop.

There is, as yet, no proven cure for hepatitis B. Interferons have been tried in certain selected patients and found to have variable results.

In the absence of any reliable and effective treatment for the disease, the only comprehensive solution left is prevention through vaccination.

Make sure your child get vaccinated. The Indian Academy of Pediatrics has recommended hepatitis B vaccination to all infants at birth. If your child has not received it at that time, it is advisable to vaccinate now.

The Hepatitis B vaccination course comprises of 3 injections to be given at definite intervals over a period of 6 months. The vaccines induce the body to produce substances called antibodies which protect against Hepatitis B infection.

Currently, two types of vaccines are available in the country – plasma derived and genetically engineered.

Plasma derived vaccines are manufactured using blood and blood products. Though these have been widely used and found to be effective, they have certain drawbacks like long production cycle and the fear of transmission of virus (as these are derived from the blood of a person suffering from hepatitis B.)

Genetically engineered vaccines use the DNA recombinant cell technology. The vaccines so produced are highly safe and pure. The safety of these vaccines are vouched for by the fact that millions of people have been administered this type of vaccine. They have the advantage of having short production cycles and therefore ready availability. Also, as no blood products are used, recombinant vaccines are free from risk of transferring other infections like HIV during the course of administration. Smithkline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline) was the pioneer in the production of the world’s first genetically engineered vaccine for human use.

Extensive clinical studies conducted worldwide have shown the genetically engineered vaccine to be highly effective in protecting healthy individuals of all ages and also immunocompromised subjects/individuals.

The only cases where the efficacy of the vaccine has been found to vary are in elderly subjects, chronic alcoholics and smokers, obese individuals and individuals suffering from other underlying diseases.

The side effects of vaccination have been seen to be mild and transient. Some vaccine recipients may experience soreness, redness and swelling at the infection site, as is seen with all vaccines.

The vaccine is contraindicated and cannot be administered to individuals who are hypersensitive to yeast or any other component of the vaccine.

To get the total benefit from the vaccine three injections have to administered over a period of six months at definite intervals. Please consult your doctor to choose the most convenient vaccination timetable.

The Indian Academy of Pediatrics has recommended Universal Immunization i.e. immunization of all newborns. The World Health Organization has also recommended Universal Immunization.

The conventional dosage bracket for different age groups with a recombinant vaccine is as follows :

(neonates, infants, children upto and including 19 years)

(20 years age and above)