Primary Health Centres can be approached for hepatitis B vaccine, says TN govt
With a number of private hospitals continuing to face a shortage of Hepatitis B vaccines, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has said that the nearest Primary Health Centre (PHC) can be approached for vaccinating children against hepatitis B as per Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) schedule.
Several private hospitals across the State have been facing short supply of hepatitis B vaccines especially for vaccinating their healthcare workers and patients such as those on dialysis. A private hospital in Chennai that administers both pentavalent and hexavalent vaccines containing hepatitis B under UIP currently has adequate stock.
The Health department said that there was no shortage of the vaccine in government hospitals. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian recently said that the State had a stock of 6,21,320 doses of the vaccine at present. This was adequate to meet the requirements for 8.5 months. Similarly, 5,52,100 pentavalent vaccines were also available to take care of the needs for the next 2.5 months.
T. S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health, reiterated that nearby PHCs can be approached for vaccinating children as per UIP schedule.
A doctor, who has been closely following the hepatitis B vaccine situation, said that Hepatitis B vaccination in adults is always challenging. It was being implemented by covering key populations who have been screened and found as hepatitis negative before vaccination, he said.
Open Vial Policy for hepatitis B vaccine to prevent wastage is one of the main challenges. This allows usage of an open vial for up to 28 days. 'The vaccine is administered to the targeted groups (among adults) after hepatitis B testing. In fact, the test kits are also in short supply' he said.
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