Mackay Medical College yesterday said that research had shown that hepatitis B vaccinations given to infants can wear off as they grow up and may not provide full, lifetime protection.
In response to frequent questions from patients about whether hepatitis B vaccination of infants can guarantee lifetime immunity, Wang Li-yu (王豊裕), a professor at the college’s Institute of Biomedical Sciences, said that according to their long-term research, some immunized people may still be affected by the disease.
Hepatitis B is highly infectious and infants can be infected by their mothers even before birth or via blood during birth, he said, adding that the risk of these infants becoming hepatitis B carriers is relatively high if they do not receive vaccinations at birth.
Through 10 years of research tracking about 8,900 teenagers now in their senior year of high school, Wang’s research team found that if the mother is a hepatitis B carrier of HBeAg-positive or high-serum HBsAg, and the infant did not receive a hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) vaccination on the day of birth, the infant will have a 29 percent risk of becoming a hepatitis B carrier by senior-high school age.
The risk percentage drops to 19 percent if the infant received a HBIG injection on the day of birth, the team said.
Because the risks are still considered high, “it is suggested that pregnant mothers who are hepatitis B carriers let their new born child get a HBIG injection and receive the first shot of the hepatitis B vaccine on the day of birth,” Wang said.
Wang also suggested that these children be tested periodically for hepatitis B as they grow up, and receive treatment if the tests indicate hepatitis B infection.
Another study conducted by the team on about 2,000 children borne by hepatitis B carrier mothers, showed that one-sixth of them lost their immunity to hepatitis B by the time they reached senior-high school age, even though they all received vaccinations when they were infants.
Wang suggested that these teenagers should consider receiving additional hepatitis B vaccinations.
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) hosted a dinner in Taipei last night with key Taiwanese suppliers to celebrate the successful mass production of the company’s new Blackwell AI systems. Speaking to the media earlier yesterday, Huang thanked Nvidia’s Taiwanese partners for their contributions to the company’s ecosystem, while also sharing his plans to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀). In response to rumors that Nvidia will launch a downgraded Hopper H20 chip for China in July, Huang dismissed the reports, saying, “That is not true.” He clarified that there
RSS