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How To Get Hepatitis B Vaccine

How Many People Have Hepatitis B

Addressing Adult Patientsâ Hepatitis B Vaccine Concerns with Dr. Sandra Leal

In the United States, an estimated 862,000 people were chronically infected with HBV in 2016. New cases of HBV infection in the United States had been decreasing until 2012. Since that time, reported cases of acute hepatitis B have been fluctuating around 3,000 cases per year. In 2018, 3,322 cases of acute hepatitis B were reported however, because of low case detection and reporting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there were 21,600 acute hepatitis B infections. New HBV infections are likely linked to the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States.

Globally, HBV is the most common blood-borne infection with an estimated 257 million people infected according to the World Health Organization .

Emergency Hepatitis B Vaccination

If you have been exposed to the hepatitis B virus and have not been vaccinated before, you should get immediate medical advice, as you may benefit from having the hepatitis B vaccine.

In some situations, you may also need to have an injection of antibodies, called specific hepatitis B immunoglobulin , along with the hepatitis B vaccine.

HBIG should ideally be given within 48 hours, but you can still have it up to a week after exposure.

What Is Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is caused by a virus that infects the liver. It is one of the most common vaccine-preventable diseases affecting travellers and can cause either acute or chronic infection.

About 90 to 95 percent of adults with acute hepatitis B infection will clear the virus on their own within six months, and develop lifelong protection against it.

Some people are unable to clear the virus, and develop chronic hepatitis B. Untreated chronic hepatitis B can later develop into serious health problems. Children under four years old are at particular risk of chronic hepatitis B, because only up to 10% will clear the virus.

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Do You Need The Hepatitis B Vaccination

If you’re travelling abroad, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia, you need to look up the risk of hepatitis B. Vaccination against this virus is recommended for some travellers to high-risk countries.

If you require a vaccination, your pharmacist can provide this as a private service for both a consultation and the vaccination itself. The service is not routinely available on the NHS. Vaccination against hepatitis B involves three or four doses of the vaccine, ideally started at least three months before you travel. There is also a combined hepatitis A and B vaccine.

Research hepatitis B risk in your country of travel

Have a consultation with your pharmacist

Start vaccination 3 months before travel

Continue course of 3 or 4 vaccinations

Take precautions to avoid exposure to hepatitis B

I Am A Healthcare Worker Who Did Not Develop Hepatitis B Antibodies After Immunization What Should I Do

Why do newborns need the hepatitis B vaccine?

Not everyone responds to the hepatitis B vaccine. In fact, in a group of adults younger than 40 years of age who have received two doses of the vaccine only 75 of 100 will be protected. Following the third dose, this number will increase to 90 of 100. However, people older than 40 years of age will be less likely to respond to the vaccine with increasing age.

Even if people do not respond to three doses, it does not mean that they are at high risk for hepatitis B. Because hepatitis B is transmitted primarily through blood and body fluids, using safety precautions while working will help decrease the chance of exposure to the disease. It is also possible that the immune response was not great enough to be measured by the laboratory test, but would still provide some level of protection upon exposure to hepatitis B. The CDC recommends getting the three-dose series again if an immune response is not generated following the first series.

About 5-10 of every 100 children and adults younger than 40 years of age do not respond to the third dose of the hepatitis B vaccine. Some of these people will be recommended to get the series of three doses again. About 5 of 100 people will still not respond after six doses. If these people are determined not to have chronic hepatitis B, they will be reliant on taking precautions to reduce the chance of exposure and relying on those around them for protection. In other words, these people will be reliant on herd immunity.

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Adults Recommended To Receive Hepb Vaccine:

  • Persons at risk for infection by sexual exposure
  • Sex partners of hepatitis B surface antigen positive persons
  • Sexually active persons who are not in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship
  • Persons seeking evaluation or treatment for a sexually transmitted infection
  • Men who have sex with men
  • Persons at risk for infection by percutaneous or mucosal exposure to blood
  • Current or recent injection-drug users
  • Household contacts of HBsAg-positive persons
  • Residents and staff of facilities for developmentally disabled persons
  • Health care and public safety personnel with reasonably anticipated risk for exposure to blood or blood-contaminated body fluids
  • Hemodialysis patients and predialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and home dialysis patients
  • Persons with diabetes aged 1959 years persons with diabetes aged 60 years at the discretion of the treating clinician
  • Others
  • International travelers to countries with high or intermediate levels of endemic hepatitis B virus infection
  • Persons with hepatitis C virus infection
  • Persons with chronic liver disease
  • Persons with HIV infection
  • All other persons seeking protection from HBV infection
  • How Does The Hepatitis B Vaccine Series Work

    The vaccine protects you from the hepatitis B virus by getting your body’s immune system to make antibodies. Those antibodies protect you by fighting off the virus if it ever gets into your body.

    Usually, the vaccine is spaced out into three different shots called a hepatitis B vaccine schedule. One month after your first shot, you get the second shot. Six months after your first shot, you get the third shot. If you miss your second or third dose, get it as soon as you remember.

    The hepatitis vaccine is super effective. Its worked really well to lower the number of people who get hepatitis B every year.

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    What Are Dosages Of Hepatitis B Vaccine

    Dosages of Hepatitis B Vaccine:

    Intramuscular suspension

    • 40 mcg/ml

    Intramuscular suspension

    • 5 mcg/0.5 ml
    • 10 mcg/0.5 mg

    Dosage Considerations Should be Given as Follows:

    • Engerix B: 1 mL intramuscularly at 0, 1, and 6 months
    • Recombivax HB: 1 mL intramuscularly at 0, 1, and 6 months
    • Adults receiving dialysis or other immunocompromising conditions
    • Recombivax HB : 40 mcg intramuscularly at 0, 1, and 6 months, OR
    • Engerix-B : 40 mcg intramuscularly at 0, 1, and 6 months

    Routine vaccination

    Catch-up vaccination

    • Unvaccinated children should complete a 3-dose series
    • Children aged 11-15 years: 2-dose series of adult formulation Recombivax HB is licensed for use in children aged 11 through 15 years

    Dosing Considerations

    Administration

    Pediatric:

    Suspected adverse events after administration of any vaccine may be reported to Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System , 1-800-822-7967

    This document does not contain all possible side effects and others may occur. Check with your physician for additional information about side effects.

    How Hepatitis Is Spread

    Why Do Newborns Get the Hepatitis B Vaccine?

    Hepatitis A: About 20,000 people in the U.S. contract hepatitis A each year. The hepatitis A virus is found in the stool of the infected person. It is spread through contaminated food or water or by certain types of sexual contact.

    Children who get hepatitis A often don’t have symptoms, so they can have the virus and not know it. However, they can still spread it easily. Fortunately, children are now routinely vaccinated against hepatitis A.

    Most people who get hepatitis A recover completely within two weeks to six months and don’t have any liver damage. In rare cases, hepatitis A can cause liver failure and even death in older adults or people with underlying liver disease.

    Hepatitis B: Every year, about 40,000 people in the U.S. become infected with hepatitis B. Acute hepatitis lasts from a few weeks to several months. Many infected people are able to clear the virus and remain virus-free after the acute stage. However, for others, the virus remains in the body, and they develop chronic hepatitis B infection, which is a serious, lifelong condition. About 1.2 million people in the U.S. have chronic hepatitis B. Of these, 15% to 25% will develop more serious health problems, such as liver damage, cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer, and some people die as a result of hepatitis B-related disease.

    Hepatitis B cannot be spread by contaminated water, food, cooking, or eating utensils, or by breastfeeding, coughing, sneezing, or close contact such as kissing and hugging.

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    Routine Administration Schedule For Hepatitis B Vaccine In Adults

    • The dosing schedule is 0, 1 to 2 months, and 4 to 6 months.
    • There is some flexibility in the schedule, but be sure to keep in mind the minimum intervals between doses:
      • At least four weeks between doses #1 and #2
      • At least eight weeks between doses #2 and #3
      • At least 16 weeks between doses #1 and #3
    • If your patient falls behind on the hepatitis B vaccination schedule , continue vaccinating from where your patient left off. The series does NOT need to be restarted.

    What To Do If You Miss A Scheduled Dose

    The recommended schedule for the HBV vaccine follows a three-dose pattern, with all doses complete within 6 months. The good news is that if you miss a dose, you dont need to start the series of shots all over.

    If you missed getting the second dose 1 month after the first, make an appointment as soon as possible. If you miss the third dose, you should also try to get it as quickly as possible. Keep in mind that the second and third doses

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    Facts About Hepatitis B

    • Two billion people, or one in three, have been infected with hepatitis B worldwide. Of these, about 260 million live with chronic hepatitis B.
    • Each year about 900,000 people die from hepatitis B worldwide, and about 2,000 of these deaths occur in the United States.
    • Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood and is 100 times more infectious than HIV. An estimated one billion infectious viruses are in one-fifth of a teaspoon of blood of an infected person, so exposure to even a minute amount, such as on a shared toothbrush can cause infection.
    • Hepatitis B is sometimes referred to as the silent epidemic because most people who are infected do not experience any symptoms.
    • Liver cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths throughout the world, behind lung, colorectal and stomach cancers.
    • Almost half of liver cancers are caused by chronic infection with hepatitis B.
    • The World Health Organization recommends the inclusion of hepatitis B vaccine in immunization programs of all countries in 2017, about 8 of 10 infants born throughout the world received three doses of hepatitis B vaccine.

    Babies And Hepatitis B Vaccination

    Symptoms of Hepatitis B

    Pregnant women have a routine blood test for hepatitis B as part of their antenatal care.

    Babies born to mothers infected with hepatitis B need to be given a dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of their birth, followed by further doses at 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age, plus a final dose when they’re 1 year old.

    Babies of mothers identified by the blood test as particularly infectious might also be given an injection of HBIG at birth on top of the hepatitis B vaccination to give them rapid protection against infection.

    All babies born to mothers infected with hepatitis B should be tested at 1 year of age to check if they have become infected with the virus.

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    How Is A Hepatitis B Vaccine Given

    A health care provider gives the hepatitis B vaccine. The vaccine is given as a shot injected into a muscle, usually in the arm for adults and children older than 1 year and in the thigh for infants and children younger than 1 year. Vaccination with a hepatitis B vaccine is usually given as a series of injections over a period of time, depending on the specific brand of the vaccine. Read any printed information that your health care provider gives you about the hepatitis B vaccine.

    Who Should Get Hepatitis Vaccinations

    Since the vaccines were first developed, the hepatitis A and B vaccines have become part of the regular childhood immunization schedule. They are not considered a routine adult immunization.

    “When we’re talking about adults, I would say yes, get the vaccine if they fit into one of these risk factors” says Poland. “If they don’t fit into the risk factors, their risk is so low that there’s no compelling reason to do it.”

    People at risk for hepatitis A include:

    • Anyone traveling to or working in areas where hepatitis A is more widespread.
    • People whose work puts them in potential contact with hepatitis A, such as those who work with the hepatitis A virus in research labs
    • People who are treated with clotting-factor concentrates
    • People who have chronic liver disease
    • People who use recreational drugs, injected or not
    • Men who have sex with men

    People at risk for hepatitis B include:

    • Anyone traveling to or working in areas where hepatitis B is more widespread.
    • Health care workers and other people whose job exposes them to human blood
    • People with HIV infection, end-stage kidney disease, or chronic liver disease
    • People who live with someone with hepatitis B
    • People who inject street drugs
    • Sexually active people who have had more than one partner
    • Anyone who has had an STD
    • Men who have sex with men
    • Sex partners of people with hepatitis B

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    Persons New To Canada

    Health care providers who see persons newly arrived in Canada should review the immunization status and update immunization for these individuals, as necessary. In many countries outside of Canada, HB vaccine is in limited use.

    All persons from a country that is endemic for HB should be assessed and vaccinated against HB if not immune and not infected. Individuals born in developing countries are more likely to be carriers of HB, necessitating vaccination of their sexual and household contacts based on review of their serologic test results. HB vaccine is recommended for all household contacts whose families have immigrated to Canada from areas in which there is a high prevalence of HB and who may be exposed to HB carriers through their extended families or when visiting their country of origin.

    Children adopted from countries in which there is a high prevalence of HB infection should be screened for HBsAg and, if positive, household or close contacts in the adopting family should be immunized before adoption or as soon as possible thereafter. Adults going to pick-up children from these countries should be vaccinated before departure. Refer to Immunization of Persons New to Canada in Part 3 for additional information.

    Who Should Not Get The Hepatitis B Vaccine

    Hepatitis B Vaccine

    Generally seen as a safe vaccine, there are some circumstances in which doctors advise against receiving the HBV vaccine. You shouldnt have the hepatitis B vaccine if:

    • youve had a serious allergic reaction to a previous dose of the hepatitis B vaccine
    • you have a history of hypersensitivity to yeast or to any other vaccine components
    • youre experiencing a moderate or severe acute illness

    If youre currently experiencing an illness, you should postpone receiving the vaccine until your condition has improved.

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    Common And Local Adverse Events

    HB vaccine

    HB vaccine is well tolerated. Reactions are generally mild and transient, and include: irritability, headache, fatigue and injection site reactions in 10% or more of recipients.

    HAHB vaccine

    There is no increase in adverse events when HAHB vaccine is compared with HA vaccine given alone or concomitantly with HB vaccine at a different injection site. When the adult formulation of HAHB vaccine is given to children in the 2 dose schedule, there is no increase in adverse events compared with those occurring after administration of the pediatric formulation of HAHB vaccine.

    DTaP-HB-IPV-Hib vaccine

    Reactions are usually mild and transient, and include fever, irritability, restlessness and injection site reactions .

    HBIg

    Headache, diarrhea, fever, urticaria, angioedema and injection site reactions may occur.

    Hepatitis A And B: Diseases Of The Liver

    Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, most often caused by a viral infection. There are three common types of hepatitis caused by viruses: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Vaccines have been developed that protect people from contracting hepatitis A and B. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C.

    Hepatitis A and hepatitis B can be spread from person to person, although in different ways. They have similar symptoms, which include abdominal pain, fever, fatigue, joint pain, and jaundice .

    Over the last 20 years, there has been a 90% decrease in cases of hepatitis A and an 80% decrease in hepatitis B cases in the U.S. Health experts believe that immunization efforts have led to this drop in rates of infection.

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    How Is Hepatitis B Transmitted

    Hepatitis B is spread in several distinct ways: sexual contact sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment or from mother-to-child at birth.

    In the United States, in 2018, injection drug use was the most common risk factor reported among people with an acute HBV infection, followed by having multiple sex partners. Less commonly reported risk factors included accidental needle sticks, surgery, transfusions, and household contact with a person with HBV infection. In the United States, healthcare-related transmission of HBV is rare.

    Mother-to-child transmission of HBV is especially concerning, because it is preventable. An estimated 25,000 infants are born to mothers diagnosed with HBV each year in the United States, and approximately 1,000 mothers transmit HBV to their infants. Without appropriate medical care and vaccinations, 90% of HBV-infected newborns will develop chronic infection, remaining infected throughout their lives. Up to 25% of people infected at birth will die prematurely of HBV-related causes. For this reason, the standard of care for pregnant women includes an HBV test during each pregnancy so that the appropriate steps can be taken to prevent HBV-positive mothers from transmitting the disease to her infant.

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