The Hepatitis B Vaccine: Myths, Facts, and Life-Saving Benefits
Did you know that there is a vaccine that can protect you and your family from liver disease and liver cancer? Here are 5 facts you should know about the hepatitis B vaccine.
Infection with hepatitis B virus can cause life-threatening liver conditions.
The hepatitis B virus can cause an infection and then may lead to ongoing liver disease. While recovery from the infection is possible, 90% of infected infants, 30 to 50% of children between 1-5 years of age, and 5% of adults will have a chronic hepatitis B virus infection (infection that is ongoing after 6 months). People who have a chronic infection may not know that they are infected, but they are at risk of infecting others with the virus. A chronic infection will need to be managed with medications and a healthy lifestyle to prevent further damage to your liver. If not treated, chronic infections may lead to serious liver disease or liver cancer.
Individuals infected with hepatitis B can pass it along to others in several ways.
The hepatitis B virus is passed to individuals in blood and body fluids through the skin and tissues that line body cavities or canals such as the throat, nose, mouth, urethra, rectum, and vagina. The virus is very infectious and can live on surfaces for more than 7 days. You can become infected by sexual contact with infected people, through injectable drug use, use of blood products, and exposure to contaminated needles, insulin pens, or other sharp instruments. Infants born to infected mothers are also at risk of getting the virus.
It is important to give the hepatitis B vaccine to newborn infants right after birth.
Recent claims that newborns do not need to receive the vaccine after birth fail to address the protection that the vaccine offers, especially to those that are born to hepatitis B infected mothers. These infants may be exposed to the virus during the birth process, and their mother may not even know that they are carrying the virus.
Infected newborns and infants with chronic hepatitis B have a 25% chance of dying from the disease. After receiving the full 3 dose series, starting with the first dose at birth, 98% of healthy infants have full immunity to hepatitis B.
Unvaccinated adults should receive the vaccine, as well as at those >60 years of age with risk factors.
Only about one-third of adults in the US are vaccinated against hepatitis B, with people 30 to 59 years of age at highest risk for new infections. Therefore, it is important for these individuals to receive all doses of the vaccine series at the earliest possible time to achieve immunity to this potentially dangerous virus. If you have not received all the recommended doses, it is not necessary to start over, but you should receive the remaining doses.
The hepatitis B vaccine is well tolerated.
The hepatitis B vaccine may cause mild side effects such as pain, redness and swelling at the place of injection; fever; and headache. If you have other symptoms, after vaccination talk to your doctor or pharmacist. If you have questions about receiving this vaccine, it is important to ask your pharmacist or physician. Getting vaccinated will protect you and your loved ones from hepatitis B infection.