The Air Rescue Team of FEMERAID International informs all our members, Knights and Dames of the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, Federation of the Autonomous Priories (KMFAP) about the followings:
Hepatitis B is an illness that can be prevented by vaccination. It is caused by a virus called hepatitis B virus, or HBV. This disease affects around 296 million individuals worldwide and is the primary reason for the occurrence of cirrhosis and liver cancer.
The World Health Organisation recommends that all new-borns should receive hepatitis B birth-dose (HepB-BD) vaccine within 24 hours of birth. However, by the end of 2022, only 114 out of 194 countries have provided a HepB-BD to all new-borns. In Africa, where the burden of hepatitis B is the highest, only 16 out of 47 countries have included HepB-BD vaccination in their routine immunisation programmes.
If you have not been vaccinated against HBV or need a booster shot, what are you waiting for?
Keep safe and healthy!
NGC
9th August 2023