Hepatitis B (HepB)

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  • WHAT IT PROTECTS AGAINST

    • Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)
    • Cirrhosis (severe liver disease)
    • Liver cancer

  • WHO IT’S FOR

    Infants and young children

  • WHEN IT’S ROUTINELY GIVEN

    • Birth

    • 1-2 months

    • 6-18 months

  • BENEFITS

    • Protects against acute Hepatitis B infection which can lead to short-term illness including fever, fatigue and muscle pain
    • Protects against chronic Hepatitis B which can lead to long-term liver damage, liver cancer and death
    • Helps stop the virus from spreading to others

  • POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS

    • Temporary arm soreness
    • Tiredness
    • Mild fever

    Serious allergic reactions are rare

    Side effects from vaccines are usually mild and temporary. It’s always good to keep in mind that vaccine side effects are minor compared to the more severe health issues that can be caused if you get sick with the disease.

  • VACCINE PRODUCTS (available in the United States)

    • Engerix-B – 3 dose series
    • Recombivax HB – 3 dose series
    • Heplisav-B – 2 dose series for adults

    Combination vaccines (protect against more than one disease):

    • Pediarix – DTaP, Hepatitis B, and inactivated Poliovirus vaccine (DTaP-HepB-IPV)
    • Vaxelis – DTaP, inactivated Poliovirus, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and Hepatitis B vaccine (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB)
    • Twinrix – Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B (HepA-HepB) – 3 dose series for adults

  • COMMON QUESTIONS

    Why is it important for newborns to receive the vaccine?

    The Hepatitis B virus is extremely contagious. Newborns can get Hepatitis B from their parent during birth or be infected by a household member, even if that person has no symptoms. Without vaccination, as many as 9 in 10 infants infected with Hepatitis B in their first year of life will develop chronic infection that can lead to liver failure and death.