The Hepatitis B vaccine is one of the vaccines that is recommended for used in children and teens. It protects against the virus that causes Hepatitis B. Is the your teen protected against this dangerous disease?
What is it? This vaccine protects against the hepatitis B virus.
Brand names: There are two brands of hepatitis B vaccine: Engerix-B and Recombivax HB.
Who is it for? The vaccine is recommended for all children from birth to 18 years of age.
How is it given? This vaccine is given as a series of two or, more commonly, three injections. Currently, an infant receives this vaccine at birth, with the second one given in a month, and a third given 6 months from the first shot. If your teen needs to get this vaccine, he will get one at the providers office, with the second one 1 month later and the third 6 months after the first. The Recombivax HB can be given to preteens and teens, ages 11 to 15, in two doses that are 4 to 6 months apart. This will depend upon which vaccine your provider carries.
What does it do? The hepatitis B vaccine protects against infection with the hepatitis B virus. This virus can cause a serious infection of the liver called hepatitis. Hepatitis B is spread through contact with blood or other bodily fluids. This can happen in many ways such as contacting blood or bodily fluids through a cut, scratch or scrape of the skin. It can happen if razors or toothbrushes are shared. Hepatitis B is also spread through sexual contact, or through sharing used needles. Healthcare providers are at particular risk, because someone can be infected through contact with patients' blood or bodily fluid, most notably through an accidental needle stick.
Someone with hepatitis B may have a variety of symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting, loss of appetite, tiredness, jaundice (a yellowing of the skin), or pain in muscles, joints and stomach. These symptoms are from the hepatitis (or liver disease) that the virus causes. When someone is infected with this virus in the long term, the infection can lead to a serious liver disease called cirrhosis or can lead to liver cancer. These conditions can cause the death of the person who is infected. Each year, 3,000 to 5,000 people die from cirrhosis or liver cancer caused by the hepatitis B virus.
Common side effects of the vaccine: Soreness at the injection site, or a fever of 99.9 F or higher.
Who should not get it: Anyone who has had a serious allergic reaction to the vaccine or any of its components. A serious allergic reaction includes difficulty breathing, throat swelling, hives, weakness, dizziness or a rapid heartbeat.
Sources:
Engerix-B®. GlaxoSmithKline. November 18, 2008. http://us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_engerixb.pdf
Hepatitis B Vaccine: What You Need to Know. Centers for Disease Control. November 18, 2008. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-hep-b.pdf
Possible Side-effects from Vaccines. Centers for Disease Control. November 9, 2008. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/side-effects.htm
Recombivax HB®. Merck. November 18, 2008. http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/r/recombivax_hb/recombivax_pi.pdf
