“One Life, One Liver” is the 2023 motto and aims to shed light on the silent role of the liver in performing more than 500 vital functions to keep us alive.
World Hepatitis Day is celebrated every year on July 28, in order to raise awareness about viral hepatitis and the consequences it brings to health, emphasizing the importance of its prevention through vaccination and other specific care, as well as early diagnosis and treatment to avoid complications, and even deaths caused by these diseases.
Viral Hepatitis is a primary infection of the liver caused by different types of viruses, which affect individuals of different ages, race, gender, geographic distribution, lifestyle, socioeconomic status, among other diverse characteristics.
To date, 5 specific viruses that cause hepatitis have been identified and sequenced: ABCD and E. They are different from each other and belong to different families. All can cause acute hepatitis but only three (B, C and D) can progress to chronic hepatitis and require a liver transplant.
Vaccines: key role in prevention
The hepatitis B vaccine is included in the National Vaccination Schedule. It is universally applicable, that is, all people must receive it, it is free and mandatory. The complete scheme consists of 3 doses: the first; then the second, a month after the first; and the third, six months after the first, all of which must be applied to achieve maximum effectiveness.
Likewise, the vaccine must be received by the pregnant woman, if she has not applied it at another time, or if she has yet to complete the scheme, since it is a totally inactivated vaccine that can be safely administered during pregnancy.
As for children, they receive it the moment they are born. The birth vaccines are BCG and hepatitis B. The latter is given to the newborn and continues the scheme at 2, 4 and 6 months of age with the pentavalent vaccine, in which it is included.
The National Vaccination Calendar also includes the vaccine against hepatitis A, with a single dose that is given at 12 months of age and very effectively prevents infection by this virus.
The other three types of viral hepatitis: C, D and E do not have any vaccine so far, which is why, for its prevention, it is essential to comply with the preventive measures and specific care disseminated.
Detecting the disease and establishing an early and opportune treatment, makes possible the cure in any of the types of hepatitis, and at the same time, improves the quality of life of the affected people with others who develop a chronic form. For this, the province of Formosa has everything necessary for the diagnosis of hepatitis, which is done at no cost to the patient.
2023-07-28 10:58:44
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