Unlike occasional "National Immunization Days" that focus just on polio, the core infant immunization program vaccinates children against seven killer diseases, including polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), tuberculosis, measles, and hepatitis B.
In support of Indonesia's infant immunization program, The Vaccine Fund recently awarded US$16.3 million for hepatitis B vaccine, plus an additional US$9.9 million for injection safety. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) and its funding arm, The Vaccine Fund, seek to improve immunization programs in the developing world. CVP was a founding member of GAVI and plays an active role in the alliance.
The Uniject device was invented, developed, and patented by PATH, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other donors. In 1996, PATH licensed the technology to BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a multinational pharmaceutical company. An Indonesian vaccine producer, Biofarma, purchases the devices from BD and fills them with hepatitis B vaccine.
Uniject devices are much easier to use and safer than standard needles and syringes. Each Uniject consists of a small plastic bubble filled with a single dose of vaccine, with a short needle attached. The vaccine is injected by squeezing the bubble. Uniject devices cannot be reused, eliminating the spread of disease through contaminated needles-a serious global problem.
In adults, hepatitis B usually causes an acute infection but is rarely
fatal. However, infants infected during birth or shortly thereafter often
become chronic carriers of the virus. Even though they show no symptoms as
children, they can infect others, and they are at high risk
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Contact: Ellen Wilson
ewilson@burnesscommunications.com
301-652-1558
Burness Communications
30-Sep-2002