Vaccines and Preventable Diseases:
Hepatitis B Vaccination
Pronounced (hep-ah-TY-tiss)
Hepatitis B is a serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the liver. The virus, which is called hepatitis B virus (HBV), can cause lifelong infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure, and death.
Hepatitis B vaccine is available for all age groups to prevent HBV infection.
What You Should Know:
For Health Professionals:
What You Should Know
- CDC's official Hepatitis B website
- Brief description
Symptoms, treatment, transmission, etc. - Frequently Asked Questions
- About hepatitis B and hepatitis B vaccination UPDATED
Parent's Guide to Childhood Immunization (screen-reader version) - Pictures of Hepatitis B
Warning: Some of these photos are quite graphic. - Video
clips about Hepatitis B (exit)
Warning: Some of these video images are quite graphic. - What if we stopped vaccinating for this disease?
- CDC en Español! - Hepatitis
The vaccination schedule most often used for adults and children has been three intramuscular injections, the second and third administered 1 and 6 months after the first. Recombivax HB® has been approved as a two dose schedule for aged 11-15 years. Twinrix® has also been approved as a four dose accelerated schedule.
- Hepatitis B Vaccine: Fact Sheet
- Questions and Answers
- As an adult, do I need this vaccine?
(19 years and older) - Side Effects
- Precautions, side-effects, and combination vaccines
Parents Guide to Immunizations (screen-reader version) - Vaccine Information Statement (VIS)
- State Vaccine Requirements
- Travelers information
Vaccine information and recommended doses, etc.
There is no confirmed evidence which indicates that hepatitis B vaccine can cause chronic illnesses.
- Hair Loss and Vaccines
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Hepatitis B Vaccine
- The Safety of Multiple Vaccines
For example, DTaP-Hib and Hib-HepB (hepatitis B)
As with all vaccines, there can be minor reactions, including pain and redness at the injection site, headache, fatigue or a vague feeling of discomfort.
- Hepatitis
B Vaccine: Fact Sheet
Hepatitis B vaccine is safe and effective
For Health Professionals
Clinical
- Pink Book's chapter on Hepatitis B
Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases textbook - Ask the Experts: Hepatitis B (exit)
- NIPINFO answers your questions about Hep B
- Pediarix vaccine: questions and answers
- Hepatitis B vaccination of adults: occupational health providers
- MMWR: Updated U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures to HBV, HCV, and HIV and Recommendations for Postexposure Prophylaxis
- Recommended dosages & schedules of hepatitis A vaccines and hepA/hepB combination vaccines (exit)
- Proper storage and handling of vaccines
- Standing Orders (exit)
Hepatitis B and Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Hepatitis B - Frequently Asked Questions
- Hepatitis B and You
Designed for use by public health, obstetric professionals, and other health professionals to educate women who test positive for the hepatitis B virus (HBV) during pregnancy. - Hep B and Moms to Be (exit)
- Perinatal Hepatitis B Coordinator Resource Center
- HIPAA and perinatal hepatitis B prevention
- Resources for clinicians (exit)
- Recommendations, resources, & general info from IAC (exit)
Recommendations
- Hepatitis B Vaccination of Infants, Children, and Adolescents (ACIP Recommendations)
- Hepatitis B vaccination recommendations for adults MMWR December 2006
- Healthcare Personnel Vaccination Recommendations (exit) NEW July 28
- Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Infections with Hepatitis Viruses in Correctional Settings
- Updated U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures to HBV, HCV, and HIV and Recommendations for Postexposure Prophylaxis
- Recommendations for Preventing Transmission of Infections Among Chronic Hemodialysis Patients
- Hemodialysis guidelines
- Contraindications
- ACIP - Vaccines for Children (VFC) Resolution
References and Resources
- Hepatitis B related-MMWR reports
- Pink Book's chapter on Hepatitis B
Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases textbook - Surveillance manual's chapter on Hepatitis
B
Manual for the Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases textbook - Surveillance Forms, Disease Burden Data & Publications
- Hepatitis A & B Vaccines (exit)
(33 pages)
From the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors - contains general info about the vaccines; roles of state healthcare service providers; populations that need the vaccines; and lessons learned from implementing vaccination programs. - Travelers Health: Yellow Book
- Hepatitis websites listed by state
Provider Education
- Clinical
education slide set
from the "Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases" course - Newsletter from IAC "Hep Express" (exit)
Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) - Cases of Harm Resulting from Missed Birth Dose
- "Your
patient is relying on YOU to protect her baby
from hepatitis B" (exit)
(brochure for physicians)
Source: Ohio Department of Health Immunization Program - Podcast on Hepatitis B
Materials for Patients
- CDC patient materials (brochures, posters, etc.)
- Vaccine Information Statement (VIS)
- CDC Educational materials
- Hepatitis
A, B, and C: Learn the Differences (exit)
From the Immunization Action Coalition - Protect your baby for life from hepatitis B (brochure) (other languages)
- Hep B and Moms to Be (exit)
- What I need to know about Hepatitis B (exit)
- Hepatitis B interactive tutorial (exit)
Also available in: Spanish (exit) - Viral hepatitis
materials in languages other than English (exit)
from Immunization Action Coalition - Protect yourself against hepatitis A and hepatitis B: Guide for gay and bisexual men
- CDC en Español! - Hepatitis
- Patient materials and more resources from IAC (exit)
- Stories of people who suffered or died from hepatitis B virus infection (exit)
- Hepatitis B: Questions and Answers (exit)
Ready-to-print versions of one of the CDC-reviewed Q&A material located on IAC's Vaccine Information website (www.vaccineinformation.org) Dated 3/07
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This page last modified on July 28, 2008
Content last reviewed on April 22, 2007
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases