Latest news with #HepatitisB
The Hindu
a day ago
- Health
- The Hindu
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.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Karnataka to roll out Hepatitis B vaccination drive for healthcare workers
With stocks of over two lakh doses of the Hepatitis B vaccine, the Karnataka Health Department is all set to roll out a drive to vaccinate all healthcare workers against the viral infection that causes inflammation in the liver. The drive, being taken up under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP), will cover over 56,000 healthcare workers who have reasonably anticipated risks for exposure to infectious materials, including blood or bodily fluids, contaminated medical supplies and equipment, or contaminated environmental surfaces, said a senior official in charge of the programme. According to a circular issued by the State Deputy Director (NVHCP) in this regard on Wednesday, June 18, each healthcare worker will be administered three doses of the intramuscular injection into the upper arm at a gap of one month and six months respectively after the first dose. Hepatitis B vaccine stocks have been supplied by the central division to the state vaccine warehouse in Bengaluru. The stocks are now being dispatched to the district drug warehouses as per the requirement. The vaccine should be administered to all health workers (medical and paramedical staff) working in the sub-centre, primary, and community health centres, and taluk and district hospitals of the respective district, the circular stated. The vaccine supplied to the district drug warehouses should be in coordination with the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) officers to understand the requirement under the routine immunisation programme. The District Tuberculosis Control Officers should take action in supplying the vaccine and administering it to the eligible beneficiaries. The report of vaccination to the beneficiaries should be entered in the NVHCP/MIS portal, and the staff will soon be trained on administering the vaccine and reporting, the circular added.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Hepatitis medicine shortage hits civil hospital, treatment delayed
The civil hospital has been suffering from a shortage of medicine for Hepatitis B and C for a few weeks now, due to which patients can't be put on treatment courses. A senior hospital official requesting anonymity, said, 'The supply of medicine is not very regular and comes in only every 2-3 months. If the treatment, which can last at least three months, is left mid-way, the virus develops resistance to the drug and the disease gets worse and harder to treat,' official said. 'So, unless we are sure if we can cater to the complete course for a patient, we don't enroll them in the programme,' the official added. Right now, around 100 patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital, and 56 patients are on hold as the medicine supply wasn't enough to start their courses already. 'If we enroll people without sufficient medicine supply, the people already on treatment will be affected. And similarly, these people may also suffer as they won't also get enough medicine to continue their courses, making their condition worse,' official added. The hospital authorities have been making demands for more medicine from the higher authorities, but the supply wasn't enough to meet the patients' load. District epidemiologist Dr Ramanpreet Kaur said, 'We have issued a demand to the higher authorities. But the problem is faced throughout the state as the drugs can't be procured locally and must come only from the Union government.' Meanwhile, the patients can either wait or if they see their condition worsen are forced to look for private clinics as an alternative, which are trying to squeeze the most bucks out of the situation. Ludhiana District Chemists' Association president, GS Chawla complained that the market was also short of Hepatitis B and C drugs. He alleged 'the drugs were only available at private clinics, who sold a single dose for around ₹350, which costs ₹50 in the market. He said that when he asked the company officials about the shortage in the market and the availability in private clinics, he was told that production was low, so they were only supplying private clinics.
India.com
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
This actress once dreamt of Amitabh Bachchan's accident, next day Big B got hospitalised due to..., her name was…
Amitabh Bachchan's near-fatal accident during the filming of his blockbuster movie Coolie remains one of the most discussed events in cinematic history. Currently, a fresh narrative regarding Amitabh Bachchan's Coolie mishap is gaining traction. Years back, on the birthday of Late Smita Patil, Amitabh Bachchan remembered how she had a sense of foreboding before his life-threatening accident. Amitabh Bachchan was filming Coolie in Bangalore when Smita Patil unexpectedly rang him at 2 am. When Smita Patil Called Big B The actor recalled and said, 'I was in Bangalore filming for Coolie.' Deep in the night, at approximately 2 am, I got a call in my hotel room. The receptionist told me that Smita Patil was on the phone. I was stunned since I had never conversed or communicated with her during that period. Believing it would be significant, I replied.' Big B further said, 'Smita inquired whether I was okay and in good health.' I replied affirmatively, and she mentioned that she had a troubling dream about me, which was why she called so late at night. 'The following day, I encountered my mishap,' The Incident That Shook the Entire Industry The following day, on July 26, 1982, Amitabh Bachchan suffered significant injuries while filming a combat sequence with actor Puneet Issar. In the scene, Puneet Issar was meant to hit Amitabh Bachchan in the stomach, but as Big B miscalculated his leap, he fell onto a table. As a result of this accident, his condition turned critical. He was promptly taken to Breach Candy Hospital, where he had multiple surgeries. Supporters nationwide offered prayers for his healing. Amitabh Bachchan's injury was so severe that he was pronounced clinically dead for several minutes before being placed on a ventilator. Reports indicate that former Prime Minister Late Rajiv Gandhi called off a visit to the United States to stay with him. At that time, Amitabh Bachchan was given 60 bottles of blood from 200 donors, and one donor tested positive for the Hepatitis B virus. Bachchan healed from the accident but learned in 2000 that the virus had caused cirrhosis of the liver, harming roughly 75% of his liver. Bachchan later shared his experience to promote awareness of the Hepatitis B vaccine. Despite the severe injury, the legendary actor made an impressive recovery and returned to filming on 7 January 1983. More About Smita Patil Smita Patil, often regarded as one of greatest and finest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, appeared in over 80 films in her short career. During this period, she featured with Amitabh Bachchan in notable films like Namak Halaal, Sharaabi, Shakti, Ghulaami and Pet Pyaar Aur Paap. Smita Patil tragically died at 31 due to childbirth complications.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Blanket ban on blood donation by trans people, sex workers: Ensuring blood safety is non-negotiable. But stigmatising policies is the wrong way to ensure it
'Imagine you are a transgender person battling dengue fever and urgently need a blood transfusion. Naturally, you turn to your friends and chosen family, many of whom are also transgender. Now, here's the shocking part: They are legally barred from donating blood.' When I said this at a recent dengue conference, the hall fell silent. The audience stared in disbelief. Unfortunately, it is true: In India, under the guidelines issued by the National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC), transgender individuals, along with men who have sex with men (MSM) and female sex workers, are permanently deferred from donating blood. The reason cited? A supposedly higher risk of transmitting infections such as HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. While 'MSM' and 'female sex workers' are behavioural categories, transgender is a gender identity. It does not inherently indicate high-risk sexual behaviour. Yes, a portion of transgender individuals may engage in sex work — often due to systemic marginalisation — but labelling the entire community as 'high-risk' is not only inaccurate, it's discriminatory. No one wants to contract a life-threatening illness like HIV from a blood transfusion. Ensuring blood safety is non-negotiable. However, safety should be ensured through individual risk assessments, not blanket bans that profile entire communities. This kind of policy plays into the dangerous trope of transgender people as 'AIDS spreaders' — a harmful stereotype rooted in stigma, not science. The transgender community has long been marginalised and was disproportionately impacted by the HIV/AIDS crisis, fighting both a public health emergency and relentless discrimination. While these prohibitory guidelines against trans and MSM groups were adopted by many countries when HIV hit in the '80s, they have been updated with time and new evidence to ensure that safe blood is delivered without senseless stigmatisation. In the UK, these guidelines were revised in 2021; in Canada, in 2022. The US FDA came up with its revised guidelines in 2023, which include a new inclusive screening process that expands blood donor eligibility and eliminates questions based on sexual orientation. The new gender-neutral guidelines have abolished deferral of blood donation from MSM and other communities based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. They now use individual risk-based questions to identify the potential donors with a higher risk of HIV transmission. In contrast, India's NBTC guidelines were last updated in 2017 and still uphold these outdated exclusions. Not only does this perpetuate stigma, but it also ignores the current, medically informed view of HIV transmission. The revised US guidelines highlight important concerns. For example, people on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) or Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) may have undetectable levels of HIV in their blood but could still transmit the virus. Similarly, those on antiretroviral therapy (ART) may have suppressed viral loads but are not risk-free donors. These nuances demand in-depth donor histories, not judgemental community-wide bans. Stigmatising policies force people into silence. Individuals from banned communities may feel compelled to lie about their identity to save a loved one's life. That alone is an indictment of the policy's failure. These guidelines have been challenged in the Supreme Court by Nupi Maanbi, a transgender woman, and Santa Khurai from Manipur. Khurai has argued that these guidelines are arbitrary, discriminatory, and unscientific. But the government's lack of seriousness is evident. The case, filed in 2021, languished for years because no lawyer was appointed to represent the government. This apathy on the part of the government, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the National Blood Transfusion Council, and the National AIDS Control Organisation is furthering stigmatisation of marginalised communities while missing out on creating updated guidelines that would allow for more blood donations in India. The Supreme Court has taken a stern view of the matter and asked, 'Are we branding all transgender persons as high-risk? Are we then indirectly stigmatising these communities?' The hypocrisy of labelling an entire community as high risk in the name of 'public safety' was questioned by the Court when it stated, referring to normal vs high risk groups, 'Even so-called 'normal' individuals engage in high-risk behaviour. Why single out entire communities?' It is important to understand that these guidelines are not just about blood donation but about our societal perceptions of a community. Large sections of the medical community have long viewed transgender people as abnormal, mentally ill, perverted, and/or criminal. The transgender community has poor access to healthcare thanks to the systemic barriers of our infrastructure, policies, training, and, most importantly, provider mindsets. However, post the NALSA vs Union of India (2014) judgment, which recognised transgender people and Transgender Persons Act, 2019, there is no room for discrimination against trans people — medically or otherwise. These words by the Supreme Court in the case should guide us: 'Aren't we creating a segregated group? This only deepens stigma, biases, and societal prejudices.' India faces a massive shortfall of blood. An estimated one million units are needed annually to meet the demand. In this context, excluding willing, healthy donors based on outdated, unscientific reasons defies logic and lacks compassion. June 14 was World Blood Donor Day. On this occasion, let's ask our government to revise blood donation guidelines in a way that they are scientific, updated, and aligned with global guidelines without unnecessarily excluding any group of donors or further stigmatising them. After all, blood donation should save lives, not exclude some people or add to the stigma around a few communities. The writer is professor, community medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Jamia Hamdard
