What is Hepatitis B vaccine?


Hepatitis B vaccine protects against the sometimes incurable virus. It is easily transmissible and can be acquired at any age. Symptoms of this viral infection are similar to the flu including fever, aches, vomiting, and loss of appetite but along with these, the infected develops a swollen liver and jaundice. HBV can cause chronic hepatitis which is an infection or inflammation of the liver, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Most children infected with the virus do not feel sick. In fact, people with this infection do not manifest the symptoms but as carriers they are contagious. Large quantities of the virus is in the blood and bodily fluids of the infected person and is usually transmitted to others through sexual contact, birth from an infected mother to her child, and infected needles. Infected newborns will go on to develop chronic hepatitis B infection which can progress to death. Receiving the shot at birth will provide the protection to infants born to mothers infected with the virus. Amazingly, the vaccine will work even if the newborn has been exposed to the virus - this is because the incubation period for HBV is about 70 days. Infants born to infected mothers have a higher chance of acquiring this disease than babies born to non-infected mothers. Fortunately children rarely have this disease but despite that, it has become a mandatory shot beginning at birth to ensure maximum protection of the infant. The vaccine in children has more than 95% efficacy rate. Side-effects include soreness in the muscle where it was given. Children with known allergies to yeast should not be given hep B vaccine.

Dose: Available vaccines are (alone), Recombivax HB (alone), Pediarix (HBV, DTaP and IPV vaccines). Three shots in the muscle usually at birth, then at 1-4 months and 6-18 months depending on the vaccine brand.