OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of hepatitis B vaccine when added to the routine expanded programme on immunisation under field conditions in rural Africa. DESIGN Infants were immunised according to two schedules--an early schedule at birth, 3 months, and 6 months and a later schedule to correspond with routine vaccination in the expanded programme on immunisation at 3 months, 4 1/2 month...

BACKGROUND In 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics and U.S. Public Health Service recommended suspending the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine due to concerns about potential mercury exposure. A previous report found that overall national hepatitis B vaccination coverage rates decreased in association with the suspension. It is unknown whether this underimmunization occurred uniformly or wa...

OBJECTIVE To determine the immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccine in preterm infants when the first dose of vaccine is delayed until hospital discharge. METHODS One hundred two preterm infants (23 to 36 weeks gestational age) born to hepatitis B surface antigen-negative mothers were enrolled. Immunization was initiated just before hospital discharge with subsequent doses 1 and 6 months later. ...

Since its widespread introduction, the hepatitis B vaccine has become an essential part of infant immunization programmes globally. The vaccine has been particularly important for countries where the incidence of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma is high. Effective treatment options for individuals with chronic hepatitis B infection were limited until 1998 when lamivudine, the ...

More than two billion people have been infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), 360 million have chronic infection and 600,000 die each year from HBV-related liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma. Each year more than 66,000 health professionals are infected by hepatitis b virus and vaccination against hepatitis B saves the life's of these health professionals. The aim of this study was to det...

INDIAN PEDIATRICS 815 VOLUME 45__OCTOBER 17, 2008 Hepatitis B virus infection is one of the major global health problems despite the availability of prophylactic vaccines. The WHO-Expanded Program on Immunization (WHO-EPI) recommends immunization of all infants against hepatitis B. The best way to achieve this goal of universal vaccination is by employing vaccine formulations combining the hepa...

Background: In Iran scince 1992, hepatitis B vaccination was a part of the national vaccination program. Hepatitis B vaccination is effective in the epidemiology of hepatitis B. The aim ofthis study was to evaluate the long – term persistence of immunity. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on children and adolescents aged between 6-18 years in Birjand, who recei...

Vertical Transmission of hepatitis B virus is a major route through which children acquire Hepatitis B infection. Only 10 out of 47 countries in Africa, and none from East Africa; have implemented the WHO recommendation of introducing a birth-dose of hepatitis B vaccine in their EPI program. This article therefore examines the challenges as well as the opportunities that exists for the introduc...

BACKGROUND Vancouver-Richmond Health Board has the highest reported rate of hepatitis B in Canada, including an annual average of 25 cases in children under 12 years of age, based on reports from 1994-1997 inclusive. The current provincial adolescent grade-six hepatitis B immunization program does not protect against childhood infection. The regional health board implemented universal infant he...