Havisure vaccine

About Havisure vaccine

• It is a two-dose vaccine — first dose administered at above 12 months of age and the second at least six months after the first dose.
• The vaccine is recommended for children as part of the routine immunization as well as for individuals at risk of exposure or travel to the regions with high hepatitis A prevalence.
• In addition to this people with occupational risk of infection and suffering from chronic liver diseases also require Hepatitis A vaccination.

Key facts about Hepatitis A

• It is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV).
• The virus is primarily spread when an uninfected (and unvaccinated) person ingests food or water that is contaminated with the faeces of an infected person.
• Hepatitis can be an acute (short-term) infection or a chronic (long-term) infection. 
• There are different types of hepatitis, with different causes:
  • Viral hepatitis is the most common type. It is caused by one of several viruses — hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, and E.
  • Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by heavy alcohol use.
  • Toxic hepatitis can be caused by certain poisons, chemicals, medicines, or supplements.
  • Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic type in which your body’s immune system attacks your liver. The cause is not known, but genetics and your environment may play a role.
• Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and hepatitis D spread through contact with the blood of someone who has the disease. 
• Hepatitis B and D may also spread through contact with other body fluids. This can happen in many ways, such as sharing drug needles or having unprotected sex.
• Symptoms: Some people with hepatitis do not have symptoms and do not know they are infected.
• Common symptoms include: fever, malaise, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark-coloured urine and jaundice. 
• Treatment: There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A. Recovery from symptoms following infection may be slow and can take several weeks or months.

 Q1) What is a Vaccine?

A preparation that is used to stimulate the body’s immune response against diseases. Vaccines are usually administered through needle injections, but some can be administered by mouth or sprayed into the nose.

Source: India’s first indigenously developed Hepatitis A vaccine launched in Hyderabad

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