Parija PP, M MK. Hepatitis B vaccine birth dose in India: time to reconsider.
Hum Vaccin Immunother 2019;
16:158-160. [PMID:
31295047 PMCID:
PMC7012144 DOI:
10.1080/21645515.2019.1640557]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 06/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral hepatitis is increasingly being recognized as a public health problem in India with 96% of all hepatitis mortality attributed to hepatitis B and C combined. It has been recognized that hepatitis B vaccination has resulted in substantial reductions in the incidence of acute and chronic hepatitis B infections and carriage. Although coverage of third-dose hepatitis B vaccine has reached 86%, the birth-dose coverage was only 45% in 2015 despite high rates of institutional deliveries (79%). With the target set at 90% coverage of birth-dose hepatitis B vaccine by 2030, it is imperative to immediately incorporate WHO/SAGE recommendations of administering the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose until 7 d into the National Immunization Schedule (NIS).
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