The problems in developing a vaccine against the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are several. For example, it is not yet clear which viral proteins it is important to develop antibodies to protect the patient from infection. In a nutshell, the vaccines under study create antibodies against HCV which, however, do not prevent infection. Furthermore, it is difficult to design a study on HCV vaccination because new cases are fortunately few, except in groups of people with high-risk behaviors, such as those who use intravenous drugs. Finally, if it is true that developing an HCV vaccine would play a fundamental role in the battle against a disease that afflicts around 70 million people worldwide and is still an important cause of death in Italy, the availability of effective antivirals capable of curing patients with hepatitis C makes developing a vaccine less of an investment priority today.
Send your questions to [email protected]
I had a single dose of the hepatitis A vaccine 10 years ago. Is it still valid?
*Alessio Aghemo is National Secretary of Aisf – Italian Association for the Study of the Liver