— Christine M. Kukka, Project Manager, HBV Advocate
Immunizing infants at birth against hepatitis B reduces risk of
infection and liver cancer and is far more effective in preventing the
viral infection than waiting to immunize children when they're 10-14,
according to a report published in the journal PLOS Medicine.
The study followed 17,204 newborns in rural China
who were immunized at birth and 17,395 who were not immunized (serving
as the control group) between 1996 and 2012.
Researchers surveyed the children twice, once in
the 1996-2000 period and again in 2008-2012, for hepatitis B-related
liver disease and cancer. They reported that:
- Liver cancer rates were 84% lower in the vaccinated group than the control group.
- Death rates from liver disease were 70% lower in the vaccinated group than in the control group.
- And, infant fulminant hepatitis was 69% lower among immunized children.
Two-thirds of the children in the control group
were later immunized when they were 10 to 14 years-old. However this
later vaccination was not as effective. Only 21% of the older children
were protected against hepatitis B by the vaccine, compared to 72% of
infants vaccinated as newborns.
Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25549238
http://www.hbvadvocate.org/news/HBJ12.2.htmLabels: infant immunization, reducing cancer risk
