Wednesday, 14 January 2015
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I was invited to attend the 14th day function of a funeral ceremony by my neighbor of a person who died at the age of 36 due to complications of “white Jaundice” (Hepatitis B Virus) in a tertiary care hospital. He married at the age of 32 to a lady of 24 years. They have one daughter of 9 months. Mother and the infant are sero positive for HBsAg. The infant has not received Hepatitis B birth dose vaccine. It has received 3 doses of Hepatitis B combined vaccine under routine immunization. Epidemiologycally this child has 90% chances of becoming a chronic carrier and about 15 to 20% chances of succumbing to complications of HBV between 30 to 50 yrs of its age. If it happens, history repeats in-spite of there being an operational National Immunization Schedule in the country incorporating Hepatitis B birth dose vaccine as one of the newborn vaccines!! There may be many such true missed cases in the community silently contributing to women fatality more than double the MMR in the reproductive age group. Hope the service providers of both the sectors will “Gift” every newborn with Hepatitis B birth dose vaccine within 24 hrs as per WHO and GoI recommendations on a war-footing. The best practice is to administer all 3 vaccines – Zero OPV; BCG and Hepatitis B birth dose simultaneously before shifting to postnatal ward as practiced in many Govt birthing facilities. Raising newborn vaccination is attainable through simple do able measures.
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