Cape Town - The inoculation against the deadly disease Hepatitis B should take place at birth to avoid unnecessary deaths or infections, a local expert has said.
Inoculations take place at the age of six-weeks-old.
Dr Monique Anderson, head of the Viral Hepatitis Research Group at Stellenbosch University, said introducing Hepatitis B vaccines at birth could be more beneficial as this would prevent transmission of the virus from infected mothers to their babies.
Hepatitis B, or liver inflammation, which is a common infection in South African children, is caused by the Hepatitis B virus that is a blood-borne disease. More than 2.5 million South Africans are estimated to have the chronic Hepatitis B virus – an infection that can lead to scarring of the liver, otherwise known as cirrhosis or cancer of the liver.
According to SA National Blood Services, one in every 185 first-time blood donors in the country have Hepatitis B while fewer first-time donors – about one in every 2 500 – have been exposed to the less common Hepatitis C strain.
The infectious diseases, estimated to be about 50 times more infectious than HIV, received attention as the world commemorated World Hepatitis Day this week.
Anderson said despite the recommendation by the World Health Organisation, which advised the administration of the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth, South Africa and other African countries only administered this jab at six weeks – too late for many vulnerable babies, especially those born to HIV-positive mothers.
HIV-infection is associated with high viral loads of Hepatitis B virus.
Anderson said a study by Stellenbosch University in 2010 confirmed that Hepatitis B virus was being transmitted from HIV-positive mother to their new-born babies.
“Our study showed that HIV-infected pregnant women have high Hepatitis B viral loads,” she said.
Cape Argus