Hepatitis B infection is the most important and most common cause of acute and long-term diseases the world over, he said. About 3 to 20 per cent of the people in Asia are carriers of the virus, and 3 to 5 per cent of those who suffer from acute Hepatitis B virus infection carry the virus all their lives.

This vaccination is mandatory in the West, he said, and it is absolutely essential to prevent its spread in society. He stressed that unlike some South-East Asian countries, it is not true that the most common transmission route in India is from an infected mother to a new-born child. The virus spreads in the non high-risk groups also, as is indicated by a study in USA The cost of treating a Hepatitis B patient for life is Rs 3 to 10 lakh.

Though the dose required by the intradermal injection is less, this method is now being discarded the world over because it is difficult and unreliable, he said.

By vaccinating all new-borns with the Hepatitis B vaccine, and all adolescents and adults who have not been vaccinated, we can hope to eliminate Hepatitis B virus in our community, he said.