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Hepatitis B and Refugees:
A Clinical Perspective
Approximately
30% of the world's population, or about 2 billion persons, have serologic
evidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Of these, an estimated
350 million have chronic HBV infection, and at least 1 million chronically
infected persons die each year from chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis
and liver cancer. Even in a low endemic country such as the United States,
hepatitis B causes more long-term liver problems and deaths than all of
the other vaccine preventable diseases of children combined, before the
availability of vaccines to prevent these diseases.
A safe and
effective vaccine to prevent hepatitis B has been available for nearly
2 decades and the primary means to prevent HBV transmission and HBV-related
chronic liver disease is by widespread vaccination. In order to accelerate
elimination of HBV transmission in the United States, increased efforts
are needed to implement effective hepatitis B vaccination programs targeted
to adolescents and adults in groups at increased risk for HBV infection.
For more
information on hepatitis B and the increased risk for hepatitis B among
refugees click one of the links below.
- View in web
browser as html.
- Download and view
the PowerPoint. (file size
1.0 MB)
- Download and view PDF.
(file size .88 MB)
This program was created by Deborah Wexler, MD, Executive Director
of the Immunization Action
Coalition.
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