Patients with hepatitis C should test for hepatitis B protection: Study

Patients with hepatitis C should consider being vaccinated again for hepatitis B, a study found.

The study, published in Journal of Infectious Diseases, found that those with hepatitis C who completed treatment and received another hepatitis B vaccination had an improved response.

Researchers encourage patients to be tested for hepatitis B immune protection and if there is none, should be vaccinated again after treating hepatitis C. 

"It is known that the hepatitis B vaccine is not as effective in those with hepatitis C," Jose Debes, MD, PhD, an associate professor in the schools of medicine and public health, said in a University of Minnesota Medical School news release. "What was not known until now is that after treating hepatitis C the hepatitis B vaccine seems to be more effective in this population. This is important, as many of these individuals are still at risk for hepatitis B infection."

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