Hepatitis E vaccine shows strong coverage
Large trial in China indicates 87 percent protection against the virus
By Nathan Seppa
A vaccine against hepatitis E shows potent, long-lasting protection against the virus. The finding from a huge study in China could clear the way for other countries to adopt the shots against hepatitis E, which is most commonly spread through tainted water.
“I consider this to be extremely important for the field,” says Heiner Wedemeyer, a physician and hepatitis researcher at Hanover Medical School in Germany. “This is a largely underestimated global health burden.” The vaccine fills a void, he says, because no other candidate vaccine aimed at this virus is anywhere near approval.