02.18.2016

Hepatitis Vaccine

What is Hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus.

Symptoms

Symptoms of hepatitis A are similar to those of other types of viral hepatitis and include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal discomfort and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and sclera, dark urine and light stool). Not everyone with hepatitis A have all symptoms. Symptoms are more common in adults than in children, and the disease is more severe in older people. Patients may take weeks or months to recover.

Hepatitis A infection does not cause chronic liver disease and is rarely fatal, but debilitating symptoms and acute liver failure with high mortality can occur.

How to spread?

1. It is mainly spread via the fecal-oral route, that is, through contact with or ingestion of objects, food, or water contaminated with sick people's feces

2. Close or sexual contact (including anal-oral contact) with an infected individual can also spread the hepatitis A virus.

3. There have also been hepatitis A outbreaks among males who have sex with men.

4. Hepatitis A can also be spread through contaminated or inadequately treated water, but this is rare.

How to prevent hepatitis A?

1. Those who are at high risk of hepatitis A exposure, travel to hepatitis A endemic areas, and eat raw or undercooked shellfish should be vaccinated.

2. Maintain cleanliness and hygiene when managing food.

3. Water should be boiled before drinking

4. Avoid eating high-risk foods, such as shellfish, raw food or half-cooked food

5. Purchase fresh food from reputable vendors and avoid unauthorized hawkers.

6. Food should be fully cooked. The hepatitis A virus can be killed by cooking at 100 degrees Celsius for at least 5 minutes.

What is hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver induced by the hepatitis B virus. (HBV). It can cause severe hepatitis, which is potentially fatal. The hepatitis B virus can be found in infected people's blood and bodily secretions.

Symptoms

Common symptoms include fever, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, yellowing of the whites of the eyes, dark urine, and clay-colored or light-colored stools. Whether symptomatic or not, approximately 5 to 10% of adult patients and 95% of mother-infected babies are unable to clear the virus and thus become chronic carriers, potentially leading to chronic hepatitis, permanent liver damage, or liver cancer.

How to spread?

The hepatitis B virus can be present in the blood and body fluids of a sick person and transmitted to others in the following ways:

1. Passed from mother to baby during or during childbirth.

2. Contact with blood

I. Direct contact with contaminated blood

II. Sharing contaminated personal objects such as toothbrushes, razors, and nail clippers with others

III. Sharing contaminated syringes with others

IV. Using viral tool for ear-piercing, tattooing, or acupuncture with a viral instrument

V. Transfusion of virus-contaminated blood or blood products.

3. Sexual contact

How to prevent hepatitis B?

The most effective way of prevention is hepatitis B vaccination. After three vaccinations, approximately 90-95% of individuals have lifelong immunity to hepatitis B.

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