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HBV Prevention

U.S. Approves New Hepatitis B Vaccine as Public Health Agencies Update Guidelines

On November 9 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) approved Heplisav-B, a new vaccine that provides protection against all known subtypes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) with 2 rather than 3 doses, which is expected to reduce the number of people who do not complete the vaccine series.

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PAS 2017: Children on Immunosuppressive Therapy May Lose Hepatitis B Vaccine Protection

More than half of children treated with immunosuppressive drugs for gastrointestinal or rheumatological conditions no longer had protective levels of antibodies against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and may require repeat vaccinations, according to a study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting last week in San Francisco.

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Teens Vaccinated Against Hepatitis B as Infants May Lose Immunity

Adolescents who received combined active-passive hepatitis B virus (HBV) immunization soon after birth may lose "immunological memory" that protects them from future infection, with the HBeAg status of the mother playing a key role, researchers reported in the January 2013 issue of Hepatology.

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Telbivudine Prevents Mother-to-Child Hepatitis B Virus Transmission

Women with a high hepatitis B viral load who were treated with the antiviral drug telbivudine (Tyzeka) had a lower risk of transmitting the virus to their babies during pregnancy or birth -- in fact, none did so -- compared to untreated women whose infants only received standard immunoprophylaxis, according to a Chinese study reported in the June edition of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

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FDA Committee Says Heplisav Hepatitis B Vaccine Is Effective, but Safety Data Inadequate

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) committee last month concurred that Dynavax's investigational hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine Heplisav was effective in preventing infection, but a majority thought there was not enough data to show whether the vaccine is safe.

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EASL 2015: Expanded Vaccination and Treatment Could Help Eliminate Hepatitis B Worldwide

While universal infant hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination has already led to major advances in reducing new infections in some settings, further expansion of prevention and treatment are needed to significantly reduce HBV transmission and liver disease mortality, according to an analysis presented at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) 50th International Liver Congress this week in Vienna.

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ICAAC 2012: Hepatitis B Vaccine Effective Long-term, but Some Lose Protection after 15 Years

Nearly all children who received 3 doses of the Engerix-B hepatitis B vaccine achieved protective immunity, but about 20% fell below the protective antibody threshold by year 15 and could benefit from a booster shot, Canadian researchers reported at the 52nd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC 2012) this week in San Francisco. alt

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HIV Controllers Respond Better to Hepatitis B Vaccine

HIV positive natural controllers who maintain undetectable or low viral load without antiretroviral therapy (ART) are more likely to achieve adequate response to hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination and have improved survival, according to a study published in the August 21 edition of the open-access journal PLoS ONE.

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Hepatitis B Rates Higher than Expected among Gay Men, Drug Users, Vaccinated Babies

altAn unexpectedly high proportion of gay/bisexual men and injection drug users develop chronic hepatitis B rather than clearing the infection, Amsterdam researchers reported in the September 2012 Journal of Hepatology. Other recent studies found that more than one-quarter of children born to mothers with hepatitis B showed evidence of "occult" HBV infection despite vaccination at birth, and that some individuals vaccinated as children may still show evidence of infection as adults.

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EASL 2014: Sci-B-Vac Bests Engerix-B for Preventing Mother-to-Child HBV Transmission

An investigational vaccine known as Sci-B-Vac given to babies born to women with hepatitis B was more effective at preventing HBV infection than the widely used Engerix-B vaccine, according to a report at the EASL International Liver Congress this month in London.

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Lack of Sleep May Compromise Hepatitis B Vaccine Response

People who got less than 6 hours of sleep per night showed significantly reduced antibody responses after hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination, a finding that may shed light on the well-known association between poor sleep and increased susceptibility to infectious disease, researchers reported in the August 1, 2012, issue of Sleep.alt

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CDC Updates Guidance for Hepatitis B Vaccination of Health-care Providers

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published updated guidance for evaluating and ensuring protection against hepatitis B virus (HBV) for health-care workers, as well as post-exposure prophylaxis recommendations for those without adequate vaccine protection.

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FDA Will Review New Dynavax Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has indicated that it will review for approval a new hepatitis B vaccine known as Heplisav.alt

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AASLD 2013: Hepatitis B Vaccine Protection Lasts at Least 30 Years

Hepatitis B vaccination provides long-term protection through 30 years for a majority of recipients, and more than 90% were protected with either initial immunization or a booster, according to a presentation at the 64th AASLD Liver Meeting last week in Washington, DC.

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U.S. Agencies Recommend Blunt Suture Needles to Reduce Risk of Viral Hepatitis and HIV

In late May, U.S. agencies concerned with worker health and safety issued a joint advisory recommending that healthcare personnel should use blunt-tip suture needles as an alternative to standard suture needles for stitching muscle and connective tissue, in order to decrease the risk of needle-stick injuries that could transmit blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.alt

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IDWeek 2013: Tenofovir May Help Prevent Mother-to-child Hepatitis B Transmission

Taking tenofovir (Viread) during the final months of pregnancy may provide extra protection against perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV), along with immunization of the infant, according to a late-breaker presentation the Second IDWeek conference last week in San Francisco.alt

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CDC Advisory Committee Recommends Hepatitis B Vaccine for People with Diabetes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) last week recommended that adults up to age 60 with diabetes should be vaccinated against hepatitis B virus (HBV), as this group has a higher risk of infection compared with the general population.alt

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FDA Rejects Heplisav Hepatitis B Vaccine Seeking More Safety Data

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declined to approve Dynavax Technologies' experimental hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine candidate with a toll-like receptor 9 adjuvant, stating it wants to see further data on safety in adults including seniors, the company announced this week.

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ICAAC 2011: Double Dose of Hepislav Works as Well as 3 Doses of Standard HBV Vaccine

Two injections of Dynavax's investigational Heplisav hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine protected adults over age 40 as well as the standard regimen consisting of 3 doses of the Engerix-B vaccine given over 6 months, researchers reported at the 51st Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC 2011) last month in Chicago.alt

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HIV+ Less Likely to Respond to Hepatitis B Vaccine, but More Shots Increase Protection

Adults in Kenya responded as well overall to hepatitis B vaccination as people in high-income countries. People with HIV had poorer response, but this could be mostly overcome with repeated doses, according to a study described in the February 1, 2013, Journal of Infectious Diseases.

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Additional HBV Vaccine Dose Offers More Protection for People with HIV

Two alternative dosing schedules of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination led to higher levels of protection than the standard 3-dose schedule. alt

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