Preventing Hepatitis

Prevent Hepatitis
Hepatitis Vacinations

You Can Prevent Hepatitis

This infectious virus is complex – it comes in three primary forms in the U. S. (A, B, and C) and two more less prevalent forms (D and E). Yet there is much you can do to help prevent hepatitis. Safe and effective vaccines exist to prevent Hepatitis A and B. Although hepatitis C does not have a vaccine yet, there are ways to reduce the risk of contracting it. Today, about four million people in the U. S. have been infected with hepatitis C.

Here's what you can do to prevent or reduce your chances of getting hepatitis:

Preventing Hepatitis A (HAV)

Vaccinate. Immunization of children (1-18 years of age) consists of 2 or 3 doses of the vaccine. Adults need a booster dose 6-12 months following the initial dose of vaccine. The vaccine is thought to be effective for 15 - 20 years or more. Vaccines to prevent HAV infection prior to exposure provide protection against the virus as early as 2 - 4 weeks after vaccination.

Other people who should be vaccinated include:

·         Users of illegal injected drugs.

·         Restaurant workers and food handlers.

·         Young people living in dorms or in close contact with others.

·         Children living in communities that have high rates of hepatitis.

·         Children and workers in day care centers.

·         People engaging in anal/oral sex.

·         People with chronic liver disease.

·         If you eat raw shellfish frequently, ask your physician about being vaccinated.

·         Laboratory workers who handle live hepatitis A virus.

Common sense hygiene. Hands should be washed with soap and water following bowel movements and before food preparation.

Traveler precautions. People who travel to developing countries where sanitary conditions are poor should be vaccinated two months prior to departure. For those exposed to HAV, immune globulin (IG) should be given as soon as possible and no later than 2 weeks after initial exposure.

Preventing Hepatitis B (HBV)

Vaccinate. Safe and effective vaccines can prevent HBV. Safe and effective vaccines provide protection against hepatitis B for 15 years and possibly much longer. Currently, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all newborns and individuals up to 18 years of age and adult participating at risk of infection be vaccinated. Three injections over a 6-12 month period are required to provide full protection.

Newborns exposed to HBV at birth by an infected mother should receive Hepatitis B immune Globulin plus the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine within l2 hours of birth and two additional doses of vaccine at one and six to twelve months of age.

All children and adolescents should be vaccinated since most cases of HBV occur in sexually active young adults. Those who engage in high-risk behaviors should be vaccinated as well.

Everyone who handles blood or blood products in their daily work should be vaccinated.

Practice safer sex (use latex condoms). If you have hepatitis, or if you have more than one sex partner within a six- month period, you should consider vaccination. Unvaccinated individuals who have been exposed to HBV infected persons through unprotected sex or contact with infected blood or body fluids should receive an intra-muscular injection of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) within l4 days of exposure and the hepatitis B vaccine.

Don't share! If you are a user of injected drugs, never share drug needles, cocaine straws, or any drug paraphernalia. No one should share anything that could have an infected person's blood on it (e.g., toothbrush, razor, nail clipper, body piercing instruments, etc.).

Handle blood spills correctly. If there is blood spill, even a small one, clean it up with a 10% solution of household bleach (believed to kill the virus). Wear protective gloves.

Preventing Hepatitis C (HCV)

There is NO vaccine to prevent HCV. Vaccines for Hepatitis A and B do not provide immunity against hepatitis C (although those who are HCV infected  should receive both hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccination). The source of HCV infection remains a mystery in about 10% of the cases. That means preventive measures are your first line of defense against HCV.

Preventive actions for HCV are the same as for hepatitis B.

HEPATITIS VACCINATIONS

Hepatitis A Vaccination

Is the hepatitis A vaccine safe and effective?
The HAV vaccine, made from inactive hepatitis A virus (synthetic), is highly effective in preventing the hepatitis A infection when given prior to exposure. However, its safety when given during pregnancy has not been determined.  Currently, the hepatitis A vaccine is NOT licensed for children less than 1 year of age in the U.S.

Who should be vaccinated against hepatitis A?
just about anyone is a candidate to get hepatitis A; however, those at higher risk for hepatitis A include: users of illegal drugs; individuals who have chronic liver disease or blood clotting disorders (e.g., hemophilia); those who have close physical contact with people who live in areas with poor sanitary conditions; men who have sex with men;  those who travel or work in developing countries; and children in populations that have repeated epidemics of hepatitis A (e.g., Alaska natives, American Indians, and certain closed religious communities).

What is the dosage regimen?
Recommended dosages and schedules vary with the patient's age and which specific vaccine is used. Whether you are a child over 1 or an adult, more than one shot is needed for long-term protection. Check with your doctor or nurse to determine how many shots are needed and when to return for the next dose. The vaccine provides protection  about four weeks after the first injection; a second injection protects you longer, possibly up to 20 years. Twinrix, a combined hepatitis A and B vaccine may be given to those over 18 years of age.

Hepatitis B Vaccination

Is the hepatitis B vaccine safe and effective?
Yes. The hepatitis B vaccine has been available since 1982. Use of hepatitis B vaccine and other vaccines is strongly endorsed by the medical, scientific and public health communities as a safe and effective way to prevent disease and death. Hepatitis B vaccines have been shown to be very safe when given to infants, children and adults.

Could vaccinations eradicate hepatitis B?
Eradication of hepatitis B is possible through a comprehensive vaccination program. The way to do this is to make sure all newborns, children under 19, and adults at risk are vaccinated against HBV.

Who should be vaccinated?
All newborns and children up to the age of 19, especially adoptees; all individuals living in the same household with a chronically infected individual; those who are in positions where they are exposed to blood at work, through drug use, or who have multiple sex partners; and individuals with hepatitis C and other chronic liver diseases should be vaccinated for hepatitis B.

Why is it so important to vaccinate children against hepatitis B?
Parents and guardians are encouraged to have their children vaccinated at an early age to prevent the serious complications that can occur when youngsters under the age of five are infected. HBV, a sexually transmitted disease, is100 times more infectious than HIV (the virus that causes AIDS).

What is the Vaccines for Children program?
The Vaccines for Children Program provides free hepatitis B vaccines to young people under the age of 19 years who are on Medicaid, have no insurance or whose insurance does not cover immunizations.

Can the babies of infected mothers be vaccinated?
Yes. All newborns, especially those whose mothers are HBV-infected, should get three vaccination shots for hepatitis B – the first within 12 hours of birth, the second at 1-2 months, and the third at 6 months. In addition, babies born to infected mothers should receive a shot called HBIG (hepatitis B immune globulin) within 12 hours of delivery.  All women should be screened for hepatitis B surface antigen  during pregnancy to determine if they are a carrier (chronically infected) of HBV. Without the above intervention, 90% of babies born to infected mothers will become chronically infected, reducing their life expectancy. It is safe to vaccinate pregnant women.

What is the dosage regimen?
HBV vaccines require three injections to obtain long-lasting immunity. Hepatitis B vaccine is given as an intramuscular injection, and can be given to children at the same time as other vaccinations. It can be given in a number of schedules, each of which provides excellent protection. For infants, vaccination should begin at birth. A second dose at 1 month of age and the third dose at 6 months of age may be given.

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