The vaccine against hepatitis E is highly effective

A new vaccine can safely prevent hepatitis E (Hepatitis E), which is a common virus in developing countries. In a study of more than 2,000 healthy adults in Nepal, the researchers found that the vaccine had a 96% chance of preventing viral infection of hepatitis E virus.

Dr Bruce Innis, the lead author of the study and the deputy general manager for clinical research and development at GlaxoSmithKline, the vaccine maker, said: 'This is the vaccine strain. New hepatitis whose efficacy has been proven since 1982 and very well tolerated. I can say that this vaccine is a bargain. '

The results of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine appear on March 1 . The study was funded by GlaxoSmithKline, the US Army's Office of Medical and Materials Research Command, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infection.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Hepatitis E is an infectious disease that is usually spread through fecal contaminated food or water . This is usually a self-healing disease and most infected people recover without leaving a long-term complication. However, pregnant women in the last 3 months of pregnancy are more likely to be infected with Hepatitis E and have a mortality rate as high as 20%.

Hepatitis E virus (Photo: cdc.gov)

The virus causing VGSV E is relatively uncommon in the United States but is common in other parts of the world. According to the background information of the study, it is estimated that about one-third of the world's population has been infected with the virus that causes Hepatitis E. In some countries, such as India, this rate can be up to 60% .

According to WHO, after viral infection, symptoms of VGSV E develop 3 to 8 weeks with an average incubation period of 40 days. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those most at risk are those aged 15-40, pregnant women and people traveling to countries where VGSV is common. E. Symptoms include jaundice, abdominal pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, dark urine, nausea and vomiting.

To test the validity of this newly developed synthetic vaccine, 2,000 healthy adults were selected in Nepal, of which 99.6% were male to vaccinate or placebo. All volunteers participated in the Nepalese military study.

The vaccine is given in 3 doses, the second dose is given one month and the third dose is given in the 6th month. The average follow-up time is 804 days.

At the end of the study, complete follow-up data of 1,794 volunteers were completed, including 898 vaccinated people and 896 placebo recipients.

During the study period, 69 people developed hepatitis E, 66 of whom were in the placebo group. According to the results of this study, the effectiveness of the vaccine is 95.5%. Dr. Innis said the researchers were surprised by the high incidence of hepatitis E infection. He said: " We know that many people here suffer from Hepatitis E, but the proportion of people infected with the placebo group is twice that of our prediction. By vaccinating VGSV E, we created one Important impact on the well-being of vaccinated people We truly believe this is a product that can alleviate human suffering. '

Tusar Desai, a liver specialist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, said the results of the study were " interesting ". He said he was not interested in the study being conducted mostly on males, since both men and women tended to respond similarly to vaccines.

What Mr. Desai is interested in is that researchers conduct this research on soldiers, who are usually thin people. He said that there is a difference in the process of creating immunity between an ill person and an overweight person. In people who are overweight, vaccines do not have the same effect.

Dr Desai said: "But when the vaccine is available, he will recommend it to people in the United States who plan to travel to areas with VGS E."

It is not known when this vaccine will be available in the market.

Innis said GlaxoSmithKline is currently seeking public or private partnerships to 'share the risk with us in continuing to develop this vaccine'.

Linh Anh