Hepatitis B: Get Protected

In recognition of World Hepatitis Day on July 28, educate yourself on the hepatitis B virus. Read on to find answers to all the questions you may have about Hepatitis B and its prevention.

What is hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is an infectious inflammatory illness of the liver. Caused by the hepatitis B virus, the disease has caused epidemics in different parts of the world, including Asia and Africa. About a third of today’s world population has been infected by the virus at some point, and approximately 350 million people are chronic carriers.
Symptoms of the virus include abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, weakness and fatigue, and jaundice. Most infants and children with hepatitis B, as well as some adults, never develop symptoms. 

How is the hepatitis B virus transmitted?

Unlike hepatitis A, hepatitis B cannot normally spread through contaminated food or water. It is instead transmitted through infectious blood and other bodily fluids, including semen and vaginal fluids. In the past, the virus has been transmitted through sexual contact , blood transfusions, re-use of contaminated syringes, and vertical transmission from mother to child.

After the hepatitis B virus enters the liver, the virus invades the cells and multiplies, leading to liver inflammation and the symptoms associated with the hepatitis B infection.

Is there a vaccine available for hepatitis B prevention?

Several vaccines are available on the market today for the purpose of hepatitis B prevention. Vaccines today are commonly made using a synthetic recombinant DNA technology, and they do not contain blood products. Patients will not be infected through this vaccination.

The Hepatitis B vaccination process usually consists of three or four injections. The first and second doses provide complete protection against the hepatitis B virus，and the final dose (either the third or fourth dose, depending on how many doses were administered in total) provides prolonged protection.

Poor responses to the vaccine are usually only associated with those over the age of 40, smokers, and alcoholics, especially those with advanced liver disease. Poor responses have also occasionally been noticed in patients who are obese and patients with HIV.

How else can I protect myself against hepatitis B?

Since hepatitis B is transferred through contact with infectious bodily fluids, the virus can be transmitted through unprotected sexual contact, unsafe blood transfusions, re-use of contaminated needles and syringes, and vertical transmission from mother to child during child birth. Infants should be vaccinated at birth.

Protect yourself by practicing safe sex. Don't engage in unprotected sex unless you are positive that your partner is not infected with hepatitis B or any other sexually transmitted disease. Never share needles, and always sterilize. Also, be cautious when getting piercings or tattoos; make sure that the employees sterilize their needles.

Especially if you are planning on visiting a region or country where hepatitis B is more prevalent, visit a travel clinic to ask a doctor about the hepatitis B vaccine in advance. The series of injections is usually administered over a six-month period.

Hepatitis B is a dangerous virus, but you can protect yourself. Take precautions, and get vaccinated!