THE realisation that hepatitis B vaccines protect people for longer than
previously thought may help slash the million-a-year death toll caused by the
liver virus.
Researchers have found that the immune system’s ability to “remember”
hepatitis B vaccination has been seriously underestimated. This means that fewer
doses of the relatively expensive vaccine might be needed to protect susceptible
people from infection—a major step forward for developing countries, who
should be able to afford to vaccinate more people as a result.
Hepatitis B vaccine is usually given as three shots over six months. Some
countries also give booster shots to…
