{"id":13532,"date":"2020-09-24T09:00:04","date_gmt":"2020-09-24T13:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=13532"},"modified":"2020-09-09T15:16:16","modified_gmt":"2020-09-09T19:16:16","slug":"hepatitis-b-vaccine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/hepatitis-b-vaccine\/","title":{"rendered":"Should you get the hepatitis B vaccine?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hepatitis B is an infection that can cause serious damage to the liver, including permanent scarring (cirrhosis), <\/span>liver cancer<\/span><\/a>, liver failure, chronic liver disease, and even death. It\u2019s caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), which can be found in blood, semen, and other body fluids.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the <\/span>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/span><\/a>, about 22,000 people in this country are living with an acute HBV infection (a short-term illness), while close to 1 million have chronic hepatitis B. Infection\u2014which can produce vague symptoms like fatigue, fever, and stomach upset\u2014can be prevented with a vaccine, but not everyone gets immunized. The hepatitis B vaccine is generally recommended for babies\/children and adults in certain high-risk groups. But since hepatitis B is an infection that\u2019s <\/span>asymptomatic in up to one third of cases<\/span><\/a> and spread via fluids that can be hard to completely avoid, you might wonder whether everyone should get immunized. Here, what you need to know.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who needs a hepatitis B vaccine?<\/span><\/h2>\n

According to the <\/span>Hepatitis B Foundation<\/span><\/a>, 80,000 Americans develop hepatitis B each year. Worldwide, two people die from the infection every minute.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since <\/span>1991<\/span><\/a>, it\u2019s been recommended that all healthy newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccination starting shortly after birth. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says healthy newborns should receive their first dose of the vaccine within 24 hours of birth, with the second dose at 1 to 2 months of age, and the third and final dose between 6 and 18 months. If a birth mothera mom tests positive for hepatitis B during pregnancy (and pregnant women are routinely tested), those timetables may be moved up, as hepatitis B can be transmitted during the birth process.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why do babies need a hep B vaccine, especially if they\u2019re living among adults who aren\u2019t in a high-risk group? Because many people with hepatitis B virus infection are asymptomatic, and the infection can be spread via something as innocuous as the toothbrush or shaving razor of an infected person. According to Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), <\/span>hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than HIV<\/span><\/a>. Ninety-five percent of children receiving all three doses of hep B vaccine will be protected from the complications the infection causes, says the AAP.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another reason to vaccinate young? The AAP also notes that more than half of the 5,000 adults who die from hepatitis B in this country each year acquired the infection as children. If you\u2019re an adult who\u2019s not sure whether or not you were ever immunized, you can get a blood test that will check for immunity\u2014but it\u2019s not right for everyone; you should check with your provider to determine if testing is appropriate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>If you\u2019re already immune, you can avoid getting extra shots and making unneeded clinic visits, especially in this era of COVID,\u201d notes <\/span>Amon Asgharpour<\/span><\/a>, MD, an assistant professor in the Division of Liver Diseases at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. However, administering extra doses of single-antigen hepatitis B vaccine is not harmful.<\/span><\/p>\n

Others who should be vaccinated, say the <\/span>CDC<\/span><\/a>, include:<\/span><\/p>\n