What is the most important information I should know about this vaccine?
Hepatitis B vaccine will not protect you against infection with hepatitis A, C, and E, or
other viruses that affect the liver. It will also not protect you from hepatitis B if you are already
infected with the virus, even if you do not yet show symptoms.
Vaccination with hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for all adults and children who are
at risk of getting hepatitis B. Risk factors include: having more than one sex partner in 6
months; being a homosexual male; having sexual contact with infected people; having cirrhosis
or chronic hepatitis C; using intravenous (IV) drugs; being on dialysis or receiving blood
transfusions; working in healthcare or public safety and being exposed to infected blood or body
fluids; being in the military or traveling to high-risk areas; and living with a person who has
chronic hepatitis B infection.
The hepatitis B vaccine is given in a series of shots. The booster shots are sometimes
given 1 month and 6 months after the first shot. If you have a high risk of hepatitis B infection,
you may be given an additional booster 2 months after the first shot.
Your individual booster schedule may be different from these guidelines. Follow your
doctor's instructions or the schedule recommended by the health department of the state you live
in.
Be sure you receive all recommended doses of this vaccine. If you do not receive the full
series of vaccines, you may not be fully protected against the disease.
You can still receive a vaccine if you have a cold or fever. In the case of a more severe
illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until you get better before receiving this
vaccine.
You should not receive a booster vaccine if you had a
life-threatening allergic
reaction after the first shot.
Keep track of any and all side effects you have after receiving this vaccine. When you
receive a booster dose, you will need to tell the doctor if the previous shots caused any side
effects.
Becoming infected with hepatitis B is much more dangerous to your health than receiving
the vaccine to protect against it. Like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects, but the
risk of serious side effects is extremely low.
What is hepatitis B vaccine?
Hepatitis B is a disease of the liver that is spread through blood or bodily fluids, sexual
contact or sharing IV drug needles with an infected person, or during childbirth when a baby is
born to a mother who is infected. Hepatitis causes inflammation of the liver, vomiting, and
jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes). Hepatitis can lead to liver cancer, cirrhosis, or death.
The hepatitis B vaccine is used to help prevent this disease.
This vaccine works by exposing you to a small amount of the virus, which causes the
body to develop immunity to the disease. This vaccine will not treat an active infection that has
already developed in the body.
Vaccination with hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for all adults and children who are
at risk of getting hepatitis B. Risk factors include: having more than one sex partner in 6
months; being a homosexual male; having sexual contact with infected people; having cirrhosis
or chronic hepatitis C; using intravenous (IV) drugs; being on dialysis or receiving blood
transfusions; working in healthcare or public safety and being exposed to infected blood or body
fluids; being in the military or traveling to high-risk areas; and living with a person who has
chronic hepatitis B infection.
Like any vaccine, the hepatitis B vaccine may not provide protection from disease in
every person.
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