KHUJAND, October 16, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Today, 23,000 hepatitis B vaccines (Recombivax HB) were sent from Khujand to Dushanbe by vehicle, Mumin Bobojonov, head of the branch of the Immunoprophylactic Center for Sughd, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.  

According to him, US$1.4 million worth of hepatitis B vaccines were provided to Tajikistan by the United States through the Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere). 

The vaccines were delivered to the Sughd province in late August already.  “7,000 vaccines remained in the Sughd province and 23,000 others were sent to the south of the country,” Bobojonov said in the near future.

“Medical workers in contact with risk group patients will be inoculated with the vaccine,” said Bobojonov, “Students at Medical College, who will work with medical facilities in the province, will also be vaccinated.” 

            According to him, it is the second hepatitis B immunization campaign amongst medical workers in northern Tajikistan; the first one was carried out in 2004.  

Hepatitis B is caused by a virus that affects the liver.  Adults who get hepatitis B usually recover.  However most infants infected at birth become chronic carriers i.e. they carry the virus for many years and can spread the infection to others.  In 2000, there were an estimated 5.7 million cases of acute hepatitis B infection and more than 521 000 deaths from hepatitis B-related disease.