Havisure vaccine

23.01.2024

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Why in the news?

Recently, the Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL) a wholly owned subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) launched India’s first indigenously developed Hepatitis A vaccine ‘Havisure’ in Hyderabad.

About Havisure vaccine:

• Havisure was developed by Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
• It is a two-dose vaccine — first dose administered at above 12 months of age and the second at least six months after the first dose.
• The vaccine is recommended for children as part of the routine immunisation as well as for individuals at risk of exposure or travel to the regions with high hepatitis A prevalence.
• In addition to this people with occupational risk of infection and suffering from chronic liver diseases also require Hepatitis A vaccination.
• Havisure' is set to play a crucial role in protecting against the Hepatitis A virus, which primarily affects the liver.

Key facts about Hepatitis A

• It is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV).
• The virus is primarily spread when an uninfected (and unvaccinated) person ingests food or water that is contaminated with the faeces of an infected person.
• Hepatitis can be an acute (short-term) infection or a chronic (long-term) infection.
• There are different types of hepatitis, with different causes:

○Viral hepatitis is the most common type. It is caused by one of several viruses -- hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, and E.

○Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by heavy alcohol use.

○Toxic hepatitis can be caused by certain poisons, chemicals, medicines, or supplements.

○Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic type in which your body's immune system attacks your liver. The cause is not known, but genetics and your environment may play a role.

• Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and hepatitis D spread through contact with the blood of someone who has the disease.
• Hepatitis B and D may also spread through contact with other body fluids. This can happen in many ways, such as sharing drug needles or having unprotected sex.
• Symptoms: Some people with hepatitis do not have symptoms and do not know they are infected.
• Common symptoms include: fever, malaise, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark-coloured urine and jaundice.
• Treatment: There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A. Recovery from symptoms following infection may be slow and can take several weeks or months.

                                                  Source: Business standard