Hepatitis B infection is the world's most common liver infection. It spreads easily and is readily transmitted to individuals than the AIDS virus.
It causes liver cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. Statistics show that about two billion people (30 %) of the world's population, has been infected with the hepatitis B virus.Out of which 350 million individuals are chronic carriers of the virus. Normally in case of adults the immune system clears about 95% of the virus from the body.
But in case of infants who are commonly affected the body fails to clear the virus and the patient often remain chronically infected.
Researchers at the flinders Medical Centre did various experiments to find a cure for the world's most common and deadly liver infection, hepatitis B.
This resulted in the development of the new vaccine which is thought to be very effective against the virus. Professor Nikolai Petrovsky said the new formula was designed to make the medication safer and more effective than existing vaccines.
It would facilitate the immune system to attack, destroy and expel the hepatitis virus more effectively. It is a boon for those who respond poorly for the current hepatitis B vaccines, including people with immunodeficiency, diabetes, elderly people and people with kidney disease.
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The initial trail of the vaccine is mainly aimed in testing the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, but future trials will test whether it is capable of being a cure for chronic hepatitis B infection.
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