Vaccination campaign doubles HBV mutations

(American Society for Microbiology) A universal infant vaccination campaign in China has led the hepatitis B virus to more than double its rate of "breakout" mutations. These mutations may enable the virus to elude the vaccine, necessitating new vaccination strategies. Researchers at the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, report their findings in an article published ahead of print in the Journal of Virology.