by Alison Bowler

Created on: May 13, 2009   Last Updated: October 04, 2009

The Hepatitis B Vaccine HBV is produced to provide protection against infection with the blood borne virus Hepatitis B. Infection with Hepatitis B can have serious even life threatening consequences.

Hepatitis B virus, a member of the Hepadnaviridae family, is capable of producing both an acute and a chronic liver infection. While occasional fatalities occur with the acute infection, the chronic form, which can lead to liver cancer or cirrhosis of the liver, is the greater threat to life. Chronic infection with Hepatitis B virus causes 80% of primary liver cancers. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates there are two billion people infected with Hepatitis B worldwide and 350 million of those have the chronic condition. Every year one million deaths worldwide are associated with Hepatitis B infection.

Transmission of the virus, from one individual to another, is via the blood or other bodily fluids. The active virus is detectable in saliva, urine, tears, semen and vaginal secretions. At one time, people caught Hepatitis B from infected blood donations but routine screening of blood prior to transfusion has eliminated this route of infection. Intravenous drug users catch Hepatitis B by the sharing of needles. Unprotected sexual intercourse is another means of catching the infection. Members of the medical profession, particularly those operating on infected patients or handling samples from them, have a higher risk of catching the disease, as do renal dialysis patients. Babies born to infected mothers often catch the virus either at birth or shortly after by breast-feeding. These babies run the highest risk of developing chronic Hepatitis B.

At present here is no treatment available for acute Hepatitis B. Alpha interferon and lamivudine (Zeffix) can be used to treat the chronic condition but may not always be effective. A vaccine preventing infection is a cheaper and more effective measure of controlling the virus.

The first vaccine against this virus became available in 1982. Initially the vaccine was available to high-risk groups such as medical staff and close contacts of infected individuals. Vaccination gives a 95% protection rate against infection with Hepatitis B. In 1992, The World Health Assembly recommended that Hepatitis B be included as part of childhood vaccination program worldwide. Many countries with endemic Hepatitis B used to have a childhood rate of chronic Hepatitis B of between 8% and 15%. The introduction of childhood vaccination

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