Hepatitis B is a viral disease that often leads to liver damage and other complications. Among the entire population of the globe, 350 million people are infected with this virus, of which about 250 thousand die annually from chronic liver diseases. Every year, up to 50,000 new cases of hepatitis B are registered in Russia alone, and in total there are up to 5 million carriers of the virus.
The hepatitis B vaccine is the only reliable way to prevent the "jaundice" virus. This is a dangerous infection that sometimes does not give specific symptoms. The disease may be accompanied by poor he alth, general weakness of the body, loss of appetite, aversion to fatty foods, liver disease, itching and yellowing of the skin. Unfortunately, the acute form of hepatitis is not always curable and 5-10% of cases become chronic. This can then lead to cirrhosis of the liver and the development of liver cancer. In extreme cases, liver damage is severe enough to cause death.
Types of hepatitis B
Hepatitis B exists in several varieties and manifests itself in two forms:
- spicy;
- chronic.
Hepatitis in its acute form develops immediately after the transmission of the virus to humans and has severe symptoms. In some cases, the disease progresses to a severe and life-threatening form called fulminant. More than 90% of adult patients with acute hepatitis are successfully cured, the rest of the disease becomes chronic.
If a newborn child is infected with hepatitis from the mother, in 95% of cases the disease will become chronic. The severity of symptoms in this form of the disease can be variable and range widely from being a carrier without any symptoms to an active chronic stage of hepatitis progressing to liver cirrhosis. This is a serious disease characterized by a special condition of the liver tissues. There is a change in the structure, the formation of scar areas, as a result of which the main functions of the organ are violated.
Hepatitis transmission routes
Hepatitis virus is found in all body fluids of a patient infected with the virus. Blood, semen, and vaginal discharge have the highest content. Significantly less virus in sweat, saliva, tears, urine and other human physiological secretions.
The virus is transmitted directly by contact of the mucous or damaged area of the skin with the biological fluid of a sick person.
Hepatitis B vaccination
In most countries of the world, the hepatitis B vaccine is mandatory in a medical facility. paramount importancehas vaccination of newborn children against the virus in the first day of their life. It is also mandatory to be vaccinated and such categories of the population as:
- patients with diseases requiring intravenous injections, hemodialysis or blood transfusions;
- staff of all medical facilities;
- medical students;
- preschool and high school students;
- family members with chronic hepatitis;
- people who travel frequently to areas with high incidence;
- people who have never been vaccinated against the virus before.
For those who do not fall into any of the risk categories, the hepatitis B vaccine is given at their request. The degree of need for vaccination is assessed based on how often dental and beauty parlors, manicure, hairdressing salons, blood donation and transfusion points are visited, etc. It must be remembered that the main route of infection is sexual contact, the hepatitis B vaccine must be carried out without fail in the absence of a permanent sexual partner.
Vaccination schedule
Vaccination against hepatitis B is carried out intramuscularly three times during the first year of life, and then it is repeated at the age of 14 years with an interval of 0-1-6 months. Vaccination against hepatitis B causes the body to produce protective antibodies. The procedure is also carried out for persons who have not been vaccinated before the age of 14, he alth workers and students of medical speci alties, patientswith chronic diseases and people from their environment. Viral hepatitis in 5-10% of cases becomes chronic, which can lead to liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Vaccination against hepatitis B is carried out in several stages. This is a must for all children. Vaccination schedule:
- first dose - on the first day after birth, the baby is given the vaccine intramuscularly;
- second dose - at 6-8 weeks of age, the vaccine is administered intramuscularly;
- Third dose - the same vaccine is administered at the 7th month of life.
Methods of immunizing infants against hepatitis are characterized by the so-called long-term immune memory, i.e. after the introduction of the vaccine, the amount of antibodies remains at a high level for a long time. If there is a risk of infection and resistance to the virus has fallen, then it becomes necessary to re-vaccinate.
A newborn baby is most susceptible to the hepatitis virus. If the infection occurred during this period, the risk of the disease becoming chronic increases to 100%. But at the same time, the immune factor that serums and vaccines create at this age is the most persistent.
Children are vaccinated immediately after birth in maternity hospitals. Two more times - a month and six months after the first vaccination. Hepatitis vaccine should be in the children's clinic. With the correct vaccination schedule without gaps, 100% immunity is provided, which lasts at least up to fifteen years.
There are cases where the hepatitis B vaccine does not produce an immune response. It happens in 5%people out of the total population. Then you need to look for other ways to protect yourself from the virus, using vaccines and other types of vaccinations.
Hepatitis B injections allowed in Russia
To date, modern substances and preparations have been developed for introduction into the human body in order to protect against the virus. Hepatitis B vaccine is used in Russia: Engerix-B, Regevac B, Eberbiovac HB, Sci-B-Vac, recombinant yeast vaccine against hepatitis B. These preparations are mainly made on the basis of purified surface antigens of the hepatitis B virus obtained by genetic engineering by breeding yeast cells absorbed on aluminum hydroxide. These vaccines induce the production of specific antibodies against the HBsAg antigen. According to clinical trials, vaccination with these drugs provides effective protection against the disease in 95-100% of newborns, children and adults at risk. 95% of newborns and mothers in whom the antigen is detected are completely protected from hepatitis B infection after vaccination according to the scheme 0, 1, 2, 12 months. or 0, 1, 6 months In he althy individuals up to the age of 15, vaccinated according to the scheme of 0, 1, 6 months, after seven months from the first vaccination, a protective level of antibodies is noted. However, there are drugs whose action is still not fully understood. For example, the drug "Euvax" is currently banned for use in the Russian Federation, as it caused the death of many children in Vietnam.
Contraindications and side effects
The hepatitis B vaccine has the only contraindication in the form of intolerance to baker's yeast, as the vaccine may contain traces of it. In addition, preterm infants may have a low immune response to vaccination. Then the hepatitis B vaccine should be delayed until the baby weighs 2 kg.
Sometimes after vaccination there is an increase in body temperature for one or two days, accompanied by general malaise. Allergic reactions in the form of urticaria are extremely rare.
It is very important that pregnancy and lactation are not absolute contraindications to vaccination. In this case, vaccination with live bacteria lacking virulence is not recommended. Also, during pregnancy, vaccines against the following infectious diseases are not administered: measles, rubella, chicken pox, tuberculosis.
