MONDAY, Sep. 2023 (HealthDay News) — People with hepatitis C should consider revaccination with the hepatitis B vaccine because their immune response to the initial shot may be insufficient, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School urge hepatitis C patients to get tested for hepatitis B immune protection. If not, they should be vaccinated again after treatment for hepatitis C.
Previous research has shown that people infected with hepatitis C have a lower response to the hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine.
“This study has broad public health implications for people with hepatitis infection,” Dr. José Debez, associate professor in the School of Medicine and Public Health, said in a university news release. “It is known that the hepatitis B vaccine is not as effective in people with hepatitis C. What was not known until now is that after treatment for hepatitis C, the hepatitis B vaccine appears to be more effective in this population. This is important because many of these people still face Risk of Hepatitis B Infection.”
The blood-borne virus that causes hepatitis C causes inflammation of the liver. Approximately 58 million people worldwide suffer from this disease, with 1.5 million new infections every year.
There is no effective vaccine for hepatitis C.
Hepatitis B is a liver infection that can be prevented with the hepatitis B vaccine.
To study the impact of the hepatitis B vaccine on these hepatitis C patients, the researchers studied 34 patients who had previously not responded to the hepatitis B vaccine. They were tested for hepatitis B antibodies.
The study found that this group had an improved response to revaccination against hepatitis B after receiving treatment for hepatitis C.
Having hepatitis B and hepatitis C at the same time increases your risk of serious problems such as cirrhosis or cancer. In some areas, both infections are common and carry risks.
The authors said more studies in larger groups are needed to assess the optimal timing of revaccination and to further understand the immune pathways involved.
The findings were recently published in Journal of Infectious Diseases.
More information
The World Health Organization has more information about hepatitis.
Source: University of Minnesota Medical School, press release, September 2023