Combined hepatitis A and B vaccine, is used to provide protection against hepatitis A and hepatitis B. It is given by injection into muscle. It is used in areas where hepatitis A and B are endemic, for travelers, people with

hepatitis C Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that primarily affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. During the initial infection people often have mild or no symptoms. Occasionally a fever, dark urine, a ...

or chronic liver disease, and those at high risk of sexually transmitted diseases. The combined vaccine is as safe and protective as if given as separate hepatitis A and B vaccines. It is generally well-tolerated. Common side effects are mild and include redness and pain at the injection site, where a small lump may appear. Feeling faint or tired, or a headache may occur. Other side effects include numbness, tingling, rash, bruising, abnormal bleeding such as from the nose or gums, weak muscle or pain. Severe side effects are rare and include an allergic reaction and seizures. It is widely available.

Administration schedule

Routine Twinrix vaccination is administered by intramuscular injection in the deltoid area using a schedule of three separate doses at 0, 1, and 6 months ( inimum intervals: 4 weeks between doses 1 and 2, 5 months between doses 2 and 3. In some circumstances, an accelerated dosing schedule of 0, 7 and 21 to 30 days followed by a booster at 12 months can be used and was shown to have similar efficacy as the traditional schedule.

Efficacy

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that clinical trials found the following levels of protection against Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B one month after each dose: :A: 93.8%, 98.8%, 99.9% :B: 30.8%, 78.2%, 98.5% GlaxoSmithKline claims that its studies found 70% of subjects had antibodies against hepatitis B a month after just the first dose, however.Twinrix should not be used for postexposure prophylaxis, because no data are available on the efficacy of combination vaccine for prophylaxis after exposure to HAV.

Availability

Twinrix is a brand manufactured by

GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals GSK plc, formerly GlaxoSmithKline plc, is a British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with global headquarters in London, England. Established in 2000 by a merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. GSK is the tent ...

. The full generic name is hepatitis A inactivated & hepatitis B (recombinant) vaccine. Twinrix is administered over three doses. The name was created because it is a mixture of two earlier vaccines — Havrix, an inactivated-virus Hepatitis A vaccine, and

Engerix-B Hepatitis B vaccine is a vaccine that prevents hepatitis B. The first dose is recommended within 24 hours of birth with either two or three more doses given after that. This includes those with poor immune function such as from HIV/AIDS and th ...

, a recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine. Twinrix first entered the market in early 1997. In the United States, Twinrix is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for those aged 18 and older. In some countries outside the United States, notably Canada and in the European Union, Twinrix is known as Twinrix Adult or Ambirix and a pediatric formulation, called Twinrix Junior or Twinrix Paediatric, is available.

Society and culture

Economics

By being a combination it may reduce administrative costs and achieve a better uptake of the vaccine.

Names

Brand names include Twinrix, Twinrix Junior, Twinrix paediatric, Ambirix, and Bilive.

References

External links

* {{Portal bar , Medicine , Viruses Combination vaccines GSK plc brands Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis vaccines sv:Hepatit#Vaccin