Provide 570 children with life-saving vaccines

The immunization program began in April 2007 with blood tests for 565 village children to screen them for Hepatitis B. The results indicated that five children are already infected with Hep B and cannot receive the vaccine; they are likely to go on to liver disease or death in young adulthood. Some may have gotten Hepatitis from their mothers at birth.

Another 65 children with the Hep B antibody have already been infected with Hep B and gotten over the disease with no apparent ill effect; they also do not need the vaccination. It is not possible to predict whether a child will withstand a Hep B infection or not, so these vaccinations are critical. Every year there are multiple deaths in Roteang village from Hepatitis B. Young girls who are vaccinated will be protected against the disease and will not be able to pass Hep B to their babies at birth.