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What You Should Know About Hep B Vaccines

Protection Against Contagious Illness

Sep 22, 2009 Stacy Herlihy

Hepatitis is a serious and infectious liver ailment with potentially deadly complications. Prevent this deadly illness with doses of the Hepatitis B vaccine.

Hepatitis B is actually a fairly common disease, with a worldwide infection rate of one in three. The sickness is caused by several viruses that have been labeled in letters from A to G. While scientists have been unable to develop a vaccine for many strains of Hepatitis, they have developed one for Hepatitis B. Current health guidelines recommend administration of this vaccination to every newborn. While many people who have Hepatitis have known risk factors for contracting it, a significant percentage of sufferers do not. Like other forms of Hepatitis, Hepatitis B is asymptomatic in about two thirds of the infected population. The other third may experience fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and jaundice.

Hepatitis B Vaccination

One of the most exciting recent breakthroughs in Hepatitis B prevention has been the development of a Hepatitis B vaccine. Since chronic Hepatitis B infection may proceed to full blown liver cancer, the vaccine is an amazing accomplishment -- the first vaccine ever manufactured that can actually prevent cancer. Hundreds of studies completed after the administration of billions of doses have demonstrated that the vaccine is very safe.

An initial dose is given right after birth. Two more injections are used by the time the baby is six months old. The Hepatitus B vaccine will protect ninety-five percent of recipients from the disease. A small number of patients do not respond to the vaccine. In that case a second series of shots may be initiated. The shot is recommended for babies, health care workers and anyone who falls into a group at high risk of infection.

Parental Concerns

Some parents argue that since their babies aren’t having unprotected sex or sharing IV drug needles they don’t need to get the Hepatitus B vaccine at all or should at least postpone it until the baby is a teenager. While two thirds of all those who contract the Hepatitus B infection have identifiable risk factors, roughly one third of all patients do not. Your baby may get bitten by another child or have a playmate who was adopted from another country where the Hepatitus B infection is more widespread. She could also come into contact with someone who has the infection and does not know it.

Another reason your baby should get the Hepatitis B vaccine is that the disease is more dangerous if you are infected with it at a young age. Only about ten percent of all adults are unable to get rid of a Hepatitis B infection. This number drops to fifty percent in children and falls to ninety percent in infants. An infant who catches Hepatitis B runs a much greater risk of having the disease progress from acute infection to the chronic form.

Contraindications

There are infants who should not get vaccinated against Hepatitis B because there may be a family history of predisposition to hazardous vaccine reactions. If your family has such a known history, consult with your OB-GYN and pediatrician to decide what course of action to take. Most babies have no such family history. In order to prevent a potentially lethal disease it is imperative to make sure they receive the Hepatitis B vaccine.

The copyright of the article What You Should Know About Hep B Vaccines in General Medicine is owned by Stacy Herlihy. Permission to republish What You Should Know About Hep B Vaccines in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Vaccinated Child