Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a potentially deadly infection of the liver that kills about 500,000 to 700,000 people each year, mostly in developing countries. The virus is spread perinatally from an infected mother to her infant at birth, from child to child, through unsafe injections and transfusions, and through sexual contact. Currently, there is no effective treatment for the disease. Hepatitis B vaccines have been shown to be about 95 percent protective against the disease when used correctly.
Hepatitis B resources on the Vaccine Resource Library were mainly gathered during PATH’s Children’s Vaccine Program, which conducted activities with hepatitis B vaccine from 2001 to 2006 in Vietnam and Cambodia. For additional resources, visit the hepatitis page on the World Health Organization website.
More about hepatitis B | View resources on hepatitis B
Key resources
Characterization of the Freeze Sensitivity of a Hepatitis B Vaccine (2009)
An article that reports on a study that aimed to characterize the immediate qualitative changes of hepatitis B vaccine caused by freeze exposure.
Hepatitis B Immunization: Introducing Hepatitis B Vaccine Into National Immunization Services (2001)
A document that provides a summary of World Health Organization policies and practices regarding hepatitis B immunization.
Hepatitis B Shots Are Recommended for All New Babies (2008)
A brochure for parents of infants outlining the rationale for hepatitis B vaccination.
Featured PATH resources
Out-of-cold-chain Delivery of the Hepatitis B Birth Dose in Four Districts of Vietnam (2006)
A document that summarizes the results of a study of out-of-the-cold-chain approaches for improving on-time delivery of birth doses of the hepatitis B vaccine.
Page last updated: October 2011.
