Hepatitis A vaccine ‘Havisure’ 

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

• 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 immunization 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.

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.