10/3/2015

WPRO|WHOWesternPacificRegion

WHORepresentativeOffice

Philippines

HepatitisBvaccinationinthePhilippines
HepatitisBisamajorpublichealthprobleminthePhilippineswithapopulationseroprevalenceof9%(Ruff,Bravo
etal.2009).Amongtheinfectedindividuals,20%to30%willdevelopchronicliverinfectionmostlyatages3050
years.Annuallyanestimated9000peoplediefromchronicliverdisease.
Effectiveandaffordabledrugtreatmentisstillnotavailable.Majorityofchroniccarriersacquiretheviruseitherat
thetimeofbirth,atabout90%risk,orinearlychildhoodbyexposuretoserous/bloodexudatesfrom
cuts/wounds/bitesofotherinfectedchildren.TtheriskofacquiringhepatitisBisapproximately30%,ifthechildis
exposedbetweenages1yearto5years.Theriskisreducedto10%ifchildisinfectedafterfiveyearsold.
Basedoncurrentevidence,universalchildhoodimmunizationwiththreedosesofhepatitisBvaccineisthemost
effectivestrategytocontrolhepatitisB.Thevaccineisalsoeffectiveinpreventinginfectionifgivenimmediately
afterexposuretoinfection(postexposureprophylaxis).
InthePhilippinesetting,almost10%ofmothersmaybechroniccarriersofthevirus,andatriskoftransmitting
theinfectiontotheirnewbornsatthetimeofbirth(duetoexposureofnewborntoinfectedbloodfrommother.itis
recommendedtogivethefirstdoseofvaccinewithin24hoursofbirthtopreventmothertochildtransmissionof
infection.
IfhepatitisBvaccineisnotgivenatbirth,evenwithsustainedthreedosesofvaccinegiveatages6,10and14
weeks,anestimated3%to5%ofallinfantswilldevelopchronicliverinfection,duetomothertochild
transmissionatbirth.
HepatitisBvaccinewasintroduced,andisavailableintheExpandedProgramonImmunization(EPI)since1992
tothe40%oftheinfants.Thegoalistoincreasecoveragebyanadditional10%ofthepopulationeachyearto
reach100%coverageby1999(DepartmentCircularNo.242s.1990,ImplementingGuidelinesontheIntegration
ofHepatitisBintotheExpandedProgramonImmunizationdatedDecember10,1990).
However,insufficientallocationoffundtoEPIlimitedtheimmediatefullimplementationoftheHepatitisB
vaccination.
PursuanttoRepublicActNo.7846,otherwiseknownastheCompulsoryHepatitisBimmunizationamonginfants
andchildrenlessthan8yearsold,HepatitisBvaccinationshallberoutinelystrengthened.EPIplansand
activitiesaregearedtowardseffectiveofcontrolhepatitisBinthecountry.Theaimistoreducethechronic
infectionrateofhepatitisBtolessthan1%amongfuturebirthcohortsfromthecurrentlevelsof10%to12%.
InJune2011,RepublicActNo.10152hasbeensigned.ItisotherwiseknownastheMandatoryInfantsand
ChildrenHealthImmunizationActof2011,whichrequiresthatallchildrenunderfiveyearsoldbegivenbasic
http://www.wpro.who.int/philippines/areas/immunization/hepatitis_b_vaccination/en/

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immunizationagainstvaccinepreventablediseases.Specifically,thisbillprovidesforallinfantstobegiventhe
birthdoseoftheHepatitisBvaccinewithin24hoursofbirth.
Complementingthislaw,thegovernmentalsopassedSenateBillActNo.2029,otherwiseknownastheLiver
CancerandHepatitisBAwarenessMonthAct,whichdeclaresFebruaryasthelivercancerandhepatitisB
awarenessmonth.

http://www.wpro.who.int/philippines/areas/immunization/hepatitis_b_vaccination/en/

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