Where Can You Get Hepatitis B Vaccine

Hepatitis B Immunisation Service

Hepatitis B vaccines are given as a needle, either on their own or as a combination vaccine. They can be provided by a variety of recognised immunisation providers. If you’re eligible, you can get the hepatitis B vaccine for free under the National Immunisation Program .

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What Are The Symptoms

• Symptoms can take 2 to 6 months to appear.
• Many people who are infected with hepatitis B have either no symptoms or only mild symptoms.
• Symptoms of acute hepatitis B can include fatigue, loss of appetite, joint pain, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, and dark urine. A small number of people will develop jaundice .
• Some people develop chronic hepatitis B and most remain contagious for the rest of their lives. Chronic infection may lead to cirrhosis and/or liver cancer. Most people with chronic hepatitis B are unaware of their infection.

Who Should Get The Hbv Vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children should get their first hepatitis B vaccine at birth and complete the doses by 6 to 18 months of age. However, the HBV vaccine is still recommended for all children if they havent already gotten it, from infanthood up to 19 years old. Most U.S. states require a hepatitis B vaccine for school admittance, however.

Its also recommended for adults at an increased risk of catching the HBV infection, or anyone who fears they have or will be exposed to it in the near future.

The HBV vaccine is even safe to administer to pregnant women.

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Safety And Adverse Events

Common and local adverse events

HA vaccine

HA vaccine is well tolerated. Reactions are generally mild and transient, and are usually limited to soreness and redness at the injection site. Other less frequent reactions include headache, irritability, malaise, fever, fatigue and gastrointestinal symptoms. Injection site reactions occur less frequently in children than in adults as do mild, systemic events . No significant difference in reactions is evident between initial and subsequent doses of vaccine or in the presence of pre-existing immunity.

HAHB vaccine

Refer to Hepatitis B Vaccine in Part 4 for information about HAHB vaccine.

Ig

Injection site reactions following receipt of standard human Ig include tenderness, erythema and stiffness of local muscles, which may persist for several hours. Mild fever or malaise may occasionally occur.

Less common and serious or severe adverse events

Less common side effects following receipt of standard human Ig include flushing, headache, chills and nausea. Urticaria, angioedema and anaphylactic reactions may occur rarely.

Guidance on reporting Adverse Events Following Immunization

Vaccine providers are asked to report, through local public health officials, any serious or unexpected adverse event temporally related to vaccination. An unexpected AEFI is an event that is not listed in available product information but may be due to the immunization, or a change in the frequency of a known AEFI.

Contraindications and precautions

For Adults At High Risk Of Exposure

Adults who have not received the hepatitis B vaccine series should be immunized when they have an increased risk of exposure. Job, travel, health condition, or lifestyle all may increase a person’s risk of contracting hepatitis B.

People who live or work where there is risk of exposure include:

• Health care and public safety workers who are likely to be exposed to blood or blood products.
• Clients and staff of institutions or residential settings with known or potential HBV carriers.
• People planning extended travel to China, Southeast Asia, Africa, and other areas where hepatitis B infection is high.

People who have health conditions that put them at high risk for exposure or a severe infection include:

• People who have a severe kidney disease that requires them to have their blood filtered through a machine .
• People who have chronic liver disease.
• People who have hemophilia and other conditions in which they need to have blood products on an ongoing basis.
• People who had a stem cell transplant.

People whose lifestyle puts them at high risk for exposure include:

• People who inject illegal drugs.
• Men who have sex with men.
• People who have had more than one sex partner in the past 6 months or who have a history of sexually transmitted infection.
• Household contacts and sex partners of hepatitis B carriers.
• Prison inmates.

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Immunisation Against Hepatitis B For People At Risk

In Victoria free hepatitis B vaccine is provided for people who are at increased risk, including:

• Men who have sex with men.
• People living with HIV.
• People living with hepatitis C.
• Prisoners.
• People no longer in a custodial setting who commenced, but did not complete, a free vaccine course while in custody.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• People born in priority hepatitis B endemic countries who arrived in Australia in the last 10 years priority countries include China, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Thailand, South Korea, Myanmar , Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Cambodia.
• Vulnerable citizens people who have experienced hardship that prevented them from accessing the vaccine earlier. Vulnerable citizens are vaccinated based on an individual assessment by an immunisation provider.

Immunisation is also recommended, but not free, for people who are at increased risk including:

If you think you have been exposed to hepatitis B, see a doctor immediately. Your doctor can give you treatment that, in some instances, can greatly reduce your risk of infection with hepatitis B.

Remember that being immunised against hepatitis B does not protect you against HIV, hepatitis C or other diseases spread by blood or bodily fluids. It is important that you take precautions to make sure you are not exposed to these diseases.

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

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British Columbia Specific Information

Hepatitis B is a virus that attacks the liver. It can cause serious disease, including permanent liver damage , and is also the main cause of liver cancer.

The hepatitis B vaccine provides immunity for at least 10 years and likely for a lifetime when completing the full series. There are currently no recommendations for a healthy person to receive a booster for this vaccine if they have completed the full series.

For more information on hepatitis B and the hepatitis B vaccine, see:

• Immunize BC Hepatitis B

You may also call 8-1-1 to speak to a registered nurse or pharmacist. Our nurses are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and our pharmacists are available every night from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Engerix-B

Recombivax HB

tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and hepatitis B combined vaccine

Infanrix Hexa

Can I Get The Vaccine If I Have Had Facial Fillers

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery has reviewed evidence from the clinical trials of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. They recommend that patients already treated with dermal fillers should not be discouraged or precluded from receiving vaccines of any kind. Similarly, patients who have had vaccines should not be precluded from receiving dermal fillers in the future.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration found that there were three cases of facial or lip swelling in people who had dermal fillers who received the Moderna vaccine. All cases happened in women aged 29 to 51. The reactions happened one to two days after vaccination. The reactions were serious but not life-threatening and in all cases the reactions resolved. Two of the women had the fillers implanted two to six weeks prior to vaccination. No data was available for the third person. In one case, a patient had a similar reaction in the past when she had been vaccinated with the annual flu vaccine. It is not clear how many other people in the clinical trial also had dermal fillers.

No data about side effects from the AstraZeneca or Janssen vaccines on facial fillers is available.

The information on this page is based on available research related to the transmission and prevention of COVID-19. This resource will be updated as new evidence emerges. Last updated

Sean R. Hosein

Acknowledgement

Resources

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Can The Vaccine Cause A Severe Allergic Reaction

In extremely rare cases, the vaccine can cause an immediate severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. If this occurs, onsite medical intervention can resolve the reaction.

The risk of a severe allergic reaction to the mRNA vaccines is as follows:

• Moderna about 2.5 per 1 million people
• Pfizer-BioNTech about 4.7 per million people

During clinical trials there were no reports of severe allergic reactions to the AstraZeneca or Janssen vaccines. However, this does not mean that such a reaction cannot happen.

After vaccination you will be asked to wait 15 minutes at the vaccination location in case a rare serious allergic reaction occurs. People who have a history of severe allergic reactions will be asked to wait for 30 minutes after being vaccinated.

Babies And Hepatitis B Vaccination

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’ve become infected with the virus.

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Can I Get The Vaccine If I Have Hepatitis B C And/or Liver Disease

It is important to consider getting vaccinated if you have hepatitis B, C or liver disease. Many people with chronic hepatitis infections have liver injury and underlying conditions that increase their chances of developing COVID-19 or severe disease if they become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers consider the vaccine to be safe and effective for people with hepatitis B and C and other liver diseases such as fatty liver. There is no evidence that the vaccine makes liver disease worse.

How Is It Transmitted

Hepatitis B is highly infectious, and is spread from one person to another through exposure to infected blood and body fluids . It can be spread through:

• blood transfusions or organ transplantation in countries where blood or blood products have not been properly screened for hepatitis B and other viruses transmitted through blood
• unprotected sex with an infected person
• sharing needles or equipment for injecting drugs
• unsterilized medical/dental equipment and shared/contaminated materials or equipment used for tattooing, body piercing or acupuncture
• sharing toothbrushes or razors
• childbirth
• household contact between family members

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Immunizing Agents Available For Use In Canada

Hepatitis A-containing vaccines

• AVAXIM® and AVAXIM®-Pediatric , Sanofi Pasteur SA , Sanofi Pasteur Ltd.
• HAVRIX®1440 and HAVRIX®720 Junior , GlaxoSmithKline Inc.
• TWINRIX® and TWINRIX®Junior , GlaxoSmithKline Inc. Refer to Hepatitis B Vaccine in Part 4 for additional information about HAHB vaccine.
• VAQTA® , Merck Canada Inc.
• ViVAXIM® , Sanofi Pasteur Ltd.

Human immunoglobulin

• GamaSTAN® , Grifols Therapeutics LLC.

Standard human immunoglobulin is a sterile, concentrated solution for intramuscular injection containing 15% to 18% immunoglobulin. It is obtained from pooled human plasma from screened donors and contains mainly IgG with small amounts of IgA and IgM. For complete prescribing information, consult the product leaflet or information contained within the product monograph available through Health Canada’s Drug product database.

Refer to Contents in Immunizing Agents Available for Use in Canada in Part 1 for lists of vaccines and passive immunizing agents available for use in Canada and their contents.

Hepatitis A And B Vaccine Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction:hives difficulty breathing swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Keep track of any and all side effects you have after receiving this vaccine. When you receive a booster dose, you will need to tell the doctor if the previous shot caused any side effects.

You should not receive a booster vaccine if you had a life-threatening allergic reaction after the first shot.

Becoming infected with hepatitis is much more dangerous to your health than receiving this vaccine. However, like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.

You may feel faint after receiving this vaccine. Some people have had seizure like reactions after receiving this vaccine. Your doctor may want you to remain under observation during the first 15 minutes after the injection.

• numbness, tingling, or burning pain

• red or blistering skin rash with burning or tingly feeling

• easy bruising or bleeding or

• unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness.

Common side effects include:

• headache or

• tired feeling.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report vaccine side effects to the US Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-822-7967.

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Hepatitis B Vaccine: Contraindications And Side Effects

Today, most parents are very skeptical about the recommendations of pediatricians about the need to vaccinate their child against such an infectious disease as hepatitis B. Fortunately, most people have never had to deal with hepatitis B and the consequences of this severe infection.

Now there is a lot of talk about the negative side of the introduction of vaccines, about the consequences, complications, the inexpediency of vaccinating a child against hepatitis B, and even at such an early age, and at the same time there is too little information about why this vaccination is needed, why it is included in the vaccination calendar , from which it protects. In this article, we will try to consider all aspects of vaccination against hepatitis B, and first of all we will touch on the topic of the advisability of vaccinating children.

What Other Drugs Will Affect Hepatitis A And B Vaccine

Before receiving this vaccine, tell the doctor about all other vaccines you have recently received.

Also tell the doctor if you have recently received drugs or treatments that can weaken the immune system, including:

• an oral, nasal, inhaled, or injectable steroid medicine

• medications to treat psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune disorders or

• medicines to treat or prevent organ transplant rejection.

If you are using any of these medications, you may not be able to receive the vaccine, or may need to wait until the other treatments are finished.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with hepatitis A and B vaccine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

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What Hepatitis B Immunisation Involves

Full protection involves having 3 injections of the hepatitis B vaccine at the recommended intervals.

Babies born to mothers with hepatitis B infection will be given 6 doses of hepatitis B-containing vaccine to ensure long-lasting protection.

If you’re a healthcare worker or you have kidney failure, you’ll have a follow-up appointment to see if you’ve responded to the vaccine.

If you’ve been vaccinated by your employer’s occupational health service you can request a blood test to see if you’ve responded to the vaccine.

My Partner Has Been Diagnosed With Hepatitis B Can Transmission Be Prevented By Vaccination

A hepatitis B diagnosis can be scary and confusing for both you and your loved ones, especially if you are unfamiliar with the virus. Hepatitis B is known to be sexually transmitted, and you may wonder how you can continue your relationship with someone who has been infected. The good news is that hepatitis B is vaccine preventable. This means that after you complete the vaccine series, you cannot contract hepatitis B through any modes of transmission you are protected for life!

However, it is important to remember that the vaccine willonly work if a person has not been previously infected. Therefore, it is necessary to take certain steps after your partners diagnosis to protect yourself from becoming infected.

The first step is to visit the doctor and get tested, even if you think that you do not have it. Since hepatitis B often has no symptoms for decades, testing is the only way to know your status. The doctor should perform the Hepatitis B Panel test a simple blood draw that shows hepatitis B surface antigen , hepatitis B surface antibody , and hepatitis B core antibody total . Looking at these three blood test results together will show if you have a current infection, have recovered from a past infection, or if you need to be protected through vaccination. Once you receive your results, this chart can help you understand what they mean.

Preventing Transmission through Vaccines:

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