- In Mexico, the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) causes each year more than four thousand acute cases, 10 to 15 fulminant cases, more than 500 cases of cirrhosis, four to 100 cases of primary liver cancer and more than 400 deaths.
- Chronic complications range from 80–90% in infants infected during the first year of life and 30–50% in children infected before the age of 6 years.
- The current low prevalence of chronic HBV infection in children under 5 years of age in the Americas is due to the widespread use of the hepatitis B vaccine in the region.
There are diseases that are older than many think and are still active today. A clear example is the hepatitis B that mainly affects children and can cause complications during their adult stage.
Current panorama in Mexico
Viral hepatitis represents a high burden of disease and mortality and is already a public health problem not only in Mexico but also in the world. According to data from the Ministry of Health (SSa), during 2022 more than 200 new cases of Hepatitis B have been registered in the country, with a rate of national incidence of 0.28 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants.
For its part, it is estimated that each year there are more than four thousand acute cases, 10 to 15 fulminant cases, more than 500 cases of cirrhosis, four to 100 cases of primary liver cancer and more than 400 deaths from this cause.
In this regard, Dr. Martha Avilés, pediatric infectologist, head of the Infectology Service of the “Federico Gómez” Children’s Hospital of Mexico, mentions that, in clear terms, chronic complications range from 80-90% in infants infected during pregnancy. first year of life and 30–50% in children infected before 6 years of age.
Therefore, one of your requests is raise awareness about hepatitis because patients can’t wait. He stressed that it is necessary to intensify the international fight against the disease, encourage people to act and participate. while something very important is to strengthen and privilege the vaccination of infants and children to prevent potential consequences.
The Role of Vaccines
In Mexico, in 2020 alone, 1,629,211 boys and girls were born, who, according to the National Vaccination Scheme, must receive the hexavalent vaccine. The biological offers protection against 6 diseases in each injection: hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, haemophilus influenzae type B and polio.
This vaccine is applied free of charge in health centers, at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months of age. It is important to note that if during the pandemic parents had a delay in the applications of their sons or daughters, it does not matter. The specialists point out that they are in time to start or complete their scheme.
For his part, Dr. Gregory López, Medical Manager for Sanofi Vacunas, mentions that it is essential that all children receive the hexavalent vaccine at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months of age. In this way, 98% protection against these diseases is obtained.
“With one person dying every 30 seconds from a hepatitis-related illness, we can’t wait to take action against viral hepatitis. In this sense, newborns should not wait for a dose of vaccine to be administered at birth.
Preventing infection with the hepatitis B virus makes it possible to avoid the complications that can arise from the disease, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.