⏰ when

When was the first hepatitis B vaccine licensed?

MedicineVaccines

Quick Answer

The first hepatitis B vaccine was licensed in 1981. It was the first vaccine against a human cancer-causing virus widely used in medicine.

The Full Story

The first hepatitis B vaccine was licensed in 1981 and represented a major advance in preventing liver disease. Chronic hepatitis B infection can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer, so vaccination became a major cancer-prevention strategy. Later vaccines were improved with recombinant DNA methods and became more widely used. Hepatitis B vaccination is now a standard part of infant and adult immunization in many countries.

Key Facts

1.1981: first hepatitis B vaccine licensed
2.Prevents infection that can cause liver cancer
3.Later versions used recombinant DNA technology

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"The vaccine that helps prevent liver cancer"