Hepatitis B Immunisation

Hepatitis B immunisation

 The disease hepatitis B can be contracted from being bitten or scratched at school ( this is why hepatitis B immunisation is given to all children in America at birth and has been for more than 10 years ).It can also be acquired at birth from and infected mother or from breast feeding. As an adult it can be acquired from sharing needles and from sexual intercourse.

There is a 10-20% mortality from acute liver damage and then it can cause liver cancer and progressive liver damage for life .For this reason it is an important cause of death in developing countries.

The immunisation which is very safe and effective is given at time zero, 1 month and at 6 months. A fourth dose is generally given in 5 years.

It can be safely combined with hepatitis A (both are killed, mercury free vaccines) and given using the same time schedule.

Hepatitis A is usually a less serious disease than B rarely causing death but is much more easily caught usually from contaminated water or food.

I have been giving hepatitis B immunisation at my clinic to children now for  over 7 years and I now give both as combined hepatitis A and B immunisation particularly if foreign travel is considered.