Why Hepatitis A deserves a place in India’s universal immunisation programme, PgII

Key Highlights:

• There is a growing need to include Hepatitis A vaccine in India's Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).
• Hepatitis A is an emerging public health concern due to changing sanitation and hygiene patterns.
• Hepatitis A outbreaks have been reported in Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi.
• Biological E’s Biovac-A, an indigenous Hepatitis A vaccine, has a proven safety and efficacy record.
• Hepatitis A vaccine offers protection rates exceeding 90 to 95%, with immunity lasting for at least 15 to 20 years.

Detailed Insights:

• The UIP has been successful in eradicating polio and curbing measles deaths, but needs to adapt to the changing health landscape.
• Improved sanitation has led to fewer children being exposed to Hepatitis A early in life, leaving adolescents and adults unprotected.
• Unlike typhoid, there is no specific treatment for severe Hepatitis A, and recovery depends on supportive care.
• Hepatitis A increasingly affects older children and young adults, where the disease is more severe.
• A single dose of the live Hepatitis A vaccine can confer durable, long-term protection.
• Introducing Hepatitis A vaccination can begin in states with repeated outbreaks or declining antibody prevalence.
• The Hepatitis A vaccine can be co-administered with existing boosters such as DPT or MR, using the same infrastructure.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP): A government initiative providing free vaccines against life-threatening diseases.
• Seroprevalence: The level of a pathogen in a population, as measured in blood samples.
• Live-attenuated vaccine: A vaccine created by reducing the virulence of a pathogen, but still keeping it viable.