Request to increase hepatitis B vaccination for infants
On August 27, the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health) said that currently, according to data reported by the Departments of Health and survey data of the Ministry of Health, the rate of hepatitis B infection among the people is still high.
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| Hepatitis B vaccination for newborns at Quang Ngai General Hospital. Photo: VNA |
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health recommend that to prevent hepatitis B virus infection and liver cancer, one of the most effective measures today is to vaccinate against hepatitis B as a newborn and within the first 24 hours after birth is the golden time to prevent the disease.
For many years, medical facilities with delivery rooms have performed relatively well in vaccinating children. However, recently, due to various reasons, the rate of hepatitis B vaccination has been lower than before. Many localities have very low rates of hepatitis B vaccination.
To achieve the goal of reducing the rate of hepatitis B and liver cancer among the people, the Ministry of Health requests that hospitals and institutes with beds under the Ministry of Health; Health Departments of provinces and centrally run cities and health departments of ministries and branches strengthen the direction, inspection and supervision of affiliated units with well-prepared delivery rooms and carry out procedures to be granted certificates of eligibility for vaccination according to regulations of the Ministry of Health.
Hospitals and institutes with beds under the Ministry of Health; Health Departments of provinces and centrally run cities and health departments of ministries and branches must organize hepatitis B vaccination for children within the first 24 hours after birth; at the same time, ensure the supply, transportation and preservation of vaccines in accordance with regulations and good vaccination safety practices; provide good advice to pregnant women before and after birth to achieve a high rate of hepatitis B vaccination.
The Department of Preventive Medicine stated that viral hepatitis is an infectious disease that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, causing acute and chronic hepatitis and killing about 1.5 million people each year, mainly due to viral hepatitis B and C.
Vietnam is one of the countries in the Western Pacific region with a high rate of hepatitis virus infection. Chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C are two common causes of cirrhosis and liver cancer in Asian countries, including Vietnam.
The risk of hepatitis B infection is 50 to 100 times higher than HIV, mainly through blood, sexual activity, and the risk of sharing personal items such as toothbrushes and razors with an infected person.
The World Health Organization has confirmed that hepatitis B can be effectively controlled through hepatitis B vaccination. The World Health Organization recommends that families should give their newborns the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine as soon as possible after birth (within the first 24 hours).
The sooner the vaccine is given, the more effective it is. An injection within 24 hours can prevent 85-90% of cases of mother-to-child transmission. The effectiveness of the vaccine will decrease gradually from 50-57% each day and will not be achieved if the injection is given after 7 days./.
According to Vietnam+
