R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, APRIL 29
To mark the World Immunization Week, SIMS Hospitals in association with the city-based NGO Thozhi kick-started a free Hepatitis B vaccination drive for the transgender community in Chetpet, Chennai on Friday. The camp was inaugurated at the night shelter for transgenders managed by the Thozhi NGO.
Speaking on this occasion, Dr P Kuganantham, HoD, Social Medicines said, ‘‘The camp highlights the urgent need of tailored prevention coupled with an awareness session. SIMS Hospital plans to give free Hepatitis B vaccinations to our transgender community, this special drive will continue till May 5, 2022 at the premises of SIMS Hospital. The three doses of Hepatitis Vaccination would be administered with a gap of one week from the first dose and six months after the second dose. It is the need of the hour to prevent the disease, as it will spread via human contacts, unhygienic blood transfusion, using same needles for injection etc.’’
Hepatitis B is a life-threatening liver disease caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), which can become chronic and persist for more than six months. Chronic Hepatitis B raises the risk of liver failure, cancer, and cirrhosis, a scarring of the liver that lasts a lifetime. WHO estimates that 296 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B infection in 2019, with 1.5 million new infections each year and over 1,15,000 Indians die as a result of hepatitis B-related complications, Dr Kuganatham said.
SIMS Hospitals, in association with Thozhi is working to create community awareness about the virus in order to protect the public health and also tackling the stigmas that surround it along with the vaccination drive.
Inaugurating the drive, Namitha Marimuthu, actor and social activist said, “I am glad to be a part of this vaccination camp and I would like to congratulate SIMS Hospitals for having taken this wonderful initiative for the transgender community. Most people are unaware of the risks of not being vaccinated with Hepatitis B and I am happy that with this drive, awareness has been raised for the condition.”
Commenting on the occasion, Dr Raju Sivaswamy, Vice President, SIMS Hospital said “We are striving to create an awareness on Hepatitis B, since such vaccines are usually given to children, but adults require a revaccination of one or two boosters owing to the risk of an infection, in the later stages. Hence SIMS is trying to reach out to these segments of people to proffer preventive and prophylactic care along with raising awareness on the importance of the vaccine.”
