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What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is a viral disease, inflammatory process of the liver. We know about several different types of hepatitis, the most common are hepatitis A, B and C. There is possibility to prevent Hepatitis A and B by Vaccination.
What is hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A is a serious liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). HAV is found in the stools of persons with hepatitis A. It usually spreads by close personal contact, unwashed hands and sometimes by eating food or drinking water contaminated with HAV. Hepatitis A can cause mild “flu-like” illness, jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), stomach pains and diarrhea. Rarely people can even die as a result of hepatitis A (about 3-5 deaths per 1000 cases). Recently, there was an outbreak of hepatitis A occurring in Prague. There are 2 to 3 new cases per day.
What is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is an inflammatory liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Hepatitis B virus is spread through contact with blood and body fluids of an infected person. A person can get infected in several ways (eg. by having unprotected sex with infected person, by injury with infected needle, from an infected mother to her baby).
About 1/3 of people who are infected with hepatitis B do not know, how they got it.
Who should get hepatitis A vaccine and when? How many doses are necessary in order to assure good protection?
Everybody who lives in an area with high disease incidence of Hepatitis A or who travels to these areas, including children (eg. Central and South America, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe).
Regular 2-doses series – 1st dose now. 2nd dose 6-12 months after the first one.
How many doses are necessary in order to assure good protection against Hepatitis B?
Regular 3 - doses series – 1st dose now. 2nd dose 1 month after the first one and the last one 6 months after the first dose.
There is also available combined vaccine against hepatitis A and B - Twinrix.
The dosage is the same as in case of vaccine against hepatitis B.
For more information do not hesitate to contact the medical staff of
Unicare Medical Center
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