Hepatitis BV Vaccination Programme 2009
Update: Inscape has now lauched their Hepatitis B Vaccination Campaign. For more information contact us or follow the links below for more information.
Hepatitis B (HBV) is 100 times more infectious than HIV and there are approx 350 million people infected worldwide. Each year between 500,000 and a million people die from the isease and it is one of the top ten causes of death in the Western world. The UK does however have a low incidence rate of around 180,000 people (0.3%) of the population). In England and Wales HBV notifications rose from 489 in 1992 to 1151 in 2005, an increase of 135%.
In the UK the most common route of transmission is via unprotected sex and contact with blood, saliva and other body fluids. This transmission route is similar to that of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV), which means that many people in high-risk groups are also infected with HIV or HCV. As a result, the following groups are at increased risk of contracting HBV: men who have sex with men, injecting drug users, sex workers and people living in institutions (prisons for example) and the female partners of the bi-sexual males.
Men who have sex with men (MSM) who seek sexual health screens will have been asked to take up the vaccine who then choose to complete the course. Young gay & bi male however in the main have still not either begun to screen at GUM clinics or taken the vaccine so they are a very vulnerable group who are still unprotected and need to be informed of the benefit of vaccination.
It only takes three jabs to protect you from HBV
The vast majority of new infections could be prevented through vaccination. This is available from your GP, GUM clinics (for certain groups), and in some cases if you have a drugs worker they may be able to arrange it. Hepatitis B vaccination should be considered by anyone with viral hepatitis i.e. hepatitis A or C. If you are still not sure what to do and want to find out more then Inscape staff are happy to explain the benefits or speak to the GUM nurse on you next check up visit
Inscape – 02392298950/1
St Mary’s GUM – 02392866796
www.immunisation.nhs.uk
www.womens-health.co.uk/hep_b.html
www.hepb.org.uk
