Preventing
Hepatitis
Prevent
Hepatitis
Hepatitis
Vacinations
You
Can Prevent Hepatitis
This
infectious virus is complex – it comes in three primary forms in
the U. S. (A, B, and C) and two more less prevalent forms (D and E).
Yet there is much you can do to help prevent hepatitis. Safe and
effective vaccines exist to prevent Hepatitis A and B. Although
hepatitis C does not have a vaccine yet, there are ways to reduce
the risk of contracting it. Today, about four million people in the
U. S. have been infected with hepatitis C.
Here's what you can do to prevent or reduce your chances of getting
hepatitis:
Preventing Hepatitis A (HAV)
Vaccinate.
Immunization of children (1-18 years of age) consists of 2 or 3
doses of the vaccine. Adults need a booster dose 6-12 months
following the initial dose of vaccine. The vaccine is thought to be
effective for 15 - 20 years or more. Vaccines to prevent HAV
infection prior to exposure provide protection against the virus as
early as 2 - 4 weeks after vaccination.
Other people who should be vaccinated include:
·
Users
of illegal injected drugs.
·
Restaurant
workers and food handlers.
·
Young
people living in dorms or in close contact with others.
·
Children
living in communities that have high rates of hepatitis.
·
Children
and workers in day care centers.
·
People
engaging in anal/oral sex.
·
People
with chronic liver disease.
·
If
you eat raw shellfish frequently, ask your physician about being
vaccinated.
·
Laboratory
workers who handle live hepatitis A virus.
Common sense hygiene. Hands should be washed with soap
and water following bowel movements and before food preparation.
Traveler precautions. People who travel to developing
countries where sanitary conditions are poor should be vaccinated
two months prior to departure. For those exposed to HAV, immune
globulin (IG) should be given as soon as possible and no later than
2 weeks after initial exposure.
Preventing
Hepatitis B (HBV)
Vaccinate.
Safe
and effective vaccines can prevent HBV. Safe and effective vaccines
provide protection against hepatitis B for 15 years and possibly
much longer. Currently, the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention recommends that all newborns and individuals up to 18
years of age and adult participating at risk of infection be
vaccinated. Three injections over a 6-12 month period are required
to provide full protection.
Newborns exposed to HBV at birth by an infected mother should
receive Hepatitis B immune Globulin plus the first dose of hepatitis
B vaccine within l2 hours of birth and two additional doses of
vaccine at one and six to twelve months of age.
All children and adolescents should be vaccinated since most
cases of HBV occur in sexually active young adults. Those who engage
in high-risk behaviors should be vaccinated as well.
Everyone who handles blood or blood products in their daily work
should be vaccinated.
Practice safer sex (use latex condoms). If you have
hepatitis, or if you have more than one sex partner within a six-
month period, you should consider vaccination. Unvaccinated
individuals who have been exposed to HBV infected persons through
unprotected sex or contact with infected blood or body fluids should
receive an intra-muscular injection of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG)
within l4 days of exposure and the hepatitis B vaccine.
Don't share! If you are a user of injected drugs, never share
drug needles, cocaine straws, or any drug paraphernalia. No one
should share anything that could have an infected person's blood on
it (e.g., toothbrush, razor, nail clipper, body piercing
instruments, etc.).
Handle blood spills correctly. If there is blood spill, even
a small one, clean it up with a 10% solution of household bleach
(believed to kill the virus). Wear protective gloves.
Preventing
Hepatitis C (HCV)
There
is NO vaccine to prevent HCV.
Vaccines for Hepatitis A and B do not provide immunity against
hepatitis C (although those who are HCV infected
should receive both hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccination).
The source of HCV infection remains a mystery in about 10% of the
cases. That means preventive measures are your first line of
defense against HCV.
Preventive actions for HCV are the same as for hepatitis
B.
HEPATITIS
VACCINATIONS
Hepatitis
A Vaccination
Is
the hepatitis A vaccine safe and effective?
The HAV vaccine, made from inactive hepatitis A virus (synthetic),
is highly effective in preventing the hepatitis A infection when
given prior to exposure. However, its safety when given during
pregnancy has not been determined. Currently,
the hepatitis A vaccine is NOT licensed for children less than 1
year of age in the U.S.
Who should be vaccinated against hepatitis A?
just about anyone is a candidate to get hepatitis A; however, those
at higher risk for hepatitis A include: users of illegal drugs;
individuals who have chronic liver disease or blood clotting
disorders (e.g., hemophilia); those who have close physical contact
with people who live in areas with poor sanitary conditions; men who
have sex with men; those
who travel or work in developing countries; and children in
populations that have repeated epidemics of hepatitis A (e.g.,
Alaska natives, American Indians, and certain closed religious
communities).
What is the dosage regimen?
Recommended dosages and schedules vary with the patient's age and
which specific vaccine is used. Whether you are a child over 1 or an
adult, more than one shot is needed for long-term protection. Check
with your doctor or nurse to determine how many shots are needed and
when to return for the next dose. The vaccine provides protection about
four weeks after the first injection; a second injection protects
you longer, possibly up to 20 years. Twinrix, a combined hepatitis A
and B vaccine may be given to those over 18 years of age.
Hepatitis
B Vaccination
Is
the hepatitis B vaccine safe and effective?
Yes. The hepatitis B vaccine has been available since 1982. Use of
hepatitis B vaccine and other vaccines is strongly endorsed by the
medical, scientific and public health communities as a safe and
effective way to prevent disease and death. Hepatitis B vaccines
have been shown to be very safe when given to infants, children and
adults.
Could vaccinations eradicate hepatitis B?
Eradication of hepatitis B is possible through a comprehensive
vaccination program. The way to do this is to make sure all
newborns, children under 19, and adults at risk are vaccinated
against HBV.
Who should be vaccinated?
All newborns and children up to the age of 19, especially adoptees;
all individuals living in the same household with a chronically
infected individual; those who are in positions where they are
exposed to blood at work, through drug use, or who have multiple sex
partners; and individuals with hepatitis C and other chronic liver
diseases should be vaccinated for hepatitis B.
Why is it so important to vaccinate children against hepatitis B?
Parents and guardians are encouraged to have their children
vaccinated at an early age to prevent the serious complications that
can occur when youngsters under the age of five are infected. HBV, a
sexually transmitted disease, is100 times more infectious than HIV
(the virus that causes AIDS).
What is the Vaccines for Children program?
The Vaccines for Children Program provides free hepatitis B vaccines
to young people under the age of 19 years who are on Medicaid, have
no insurance or whose insurance does not cover immunizations.
Can the babies of infected mothers be vaccinated?
Yes. All newborns, especially those whose mothers are HBV-infected,
should get three vaccination shots for hepatitis B – the first
within 12 hours of birth, the second at 1-2 months, and the third at
6 months. In addition, babies born to infected mothers should
receive a shot called HBIG (hepatitis B immune globulin) within 12
hours of delivery. All
women should be screened for hepatitis B surface antigen during
pregnancy to determine if they are a carrier (chronically infected)
of HBV. Without the above intervention, 90% of babies born to
infected mothers will become chronically infected, reducing their
life expectancy. It is safe to vaccinate pregnant women.
What is the dosage regimen?
HBV vaccines require three injections to obtain long-lasting
immunity. Hepatitis B vaccine is given as an intramuscular
injection, and can be given to children at the same time as other
vaccinations. It can be given in a number of schedules, each of
which provides excellent protection. For infants, vaccination should
begin at birth. A second dose at 1 month of age and the third dose
at 6 months of age may be given.
the good we do | living
with hepatitis | news
& research | support
donate | contact
us | site map |
home
nnac | online
learning center | subscribe
to our newsletter
| disclaimer | privacy
|