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Hepatitis is a viral inflammation of the liver. An infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) can clear up in the first six months, but it can also become chronic.
According to WHO, around 254 million people worldwide live with a chronic hepatitis B infection – many of them without knowing it.
Chronic hepatitis B infections are one of the main causes of liver cirrhosis and liver cell carcinoma. The hepatitis B medicines available today can reduce the viral load but cannot provide a complete cure.
The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut's regulatory and scientific work makes an important contribution to the protection of the population in Germany against hepatitis B.
In Germany, several safe and effective vaccines against hepatitis B have been authorised that provide reliable protection against infections.
The Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends vaccination against hepatitis B for all infants and for high-risk groups of individuals.
In its role as a federal institute, the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut monitors the quality, efficacy, and safety of these vaccines and checks each vaccine batch before it is released for the German market.
Since hepatitis B is a blood-borne infection, strict regulations apply in Germany to protect against transmission through blood and blood products.
The risk of HBV transmission through blood products is extremely low in Germany.
The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut monitors the safety of blood and blood components along the entire transfusion chain.
As an EU reference laboratory (EURL) for in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDs) in the area of hepatitis infections, the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut contributes to the quality assurance of diagnostic tests so that hepatitis infections can be reliably detected at an early stage.
