Hepatitis B vaccination drive for HIV positive patients began at all anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centres across the State on Monday.
Vaccines would be administered on those HIV positive patients who tested negative for Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), said Dr. Bhukya Lakshma Naik, District Leprosy, AIDS and TB officer, while launching the programme at the ART centre at Government General Hospital in Guntur.
The vaccine would be administered in three doses with a gap of one month between first and second doses and two months between second and third doses, said L. Madhusudhan Rao, District Programme Manager, District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit, in Guntur.
In line with the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), APSACS, in collaboration with NVHCP, had screened People Living with HIV (PLHIV) for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C at ART centres. As of September 2022, 1,26,940 PLHIV had been screened. Among those tested, 2,647 (2.1%) tested positive for Hepatitis B and 172 (0.3%) tested positive for Hepatitis C.
What is hepatitis?
The doctors said that hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus. Heavy use of alcohol, toxins and certain types of medications and medical conditions can also cause this. Hepatitis B spreads when blood, semen or other bodily fluids infected with HBV enters the body of an unvaccinated person. One can contract the infection though sex and sharing of used needles, syringes, drug-preparation equipment, toothbrushes, razors or medical equipment that had had direct contact with infected blood.
