My OperaHepatitis B vaccine
Tuesday, October 15, 2013 2:56:05 PM
The hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for:
Those who may be exposed to blood or blood products through their occupation, eg healthcare workers, ambulance crews, carers of high-risk or known patients, and morticians.
Travellers who intend to stay for long periods in high-prevalence areas.
Those considered to be at risk of hepatitis B through their planned activities, eg volunteers undertaking manual work, taking part in contact sports, involvement with casual sex.
Those individuals who change sexual partners frequently.
Travellers with pre-existing medical conditions, who may be at higher risk of requiring medical procedures abroad, eg pregnancy. (Pregnancy is not a contra-indication to immunisation.)
Injecting drug users.
Partners and children of injecting drug users.
Non-injecting drug users who live with injecting drug users.
Individuals in residential accommodation for those with learning difficulties.
People travelling to or going to reside in areas of high or intermediate prevalence..
Haemophiliacs requiring treatment and those who are receiving regular blood or blood products.
Prisoners and prison officers.
Family contacts of those with chronic hepatitis B infection.
Those patients with chronic kidney disease or chronic liver disease.
All pregnant women should be screened for hepatitis B virus (HBV):
If positive, the baby should receive vaccination soon after birth.
Babies born to highly infectious mothers should also receive hepatitis B immunoglobulin.
NB: the vaccine is not needed for those people who have HbsAg or hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs). However, the vaccine should not be delayed whilst awaiting blood test results.
Immunisation schedule
The standard course of immunisation involves three injections at 0, 1 and 6 months.
An accelerated course of 0, 1 and 2 months is possible - also for combined hepatitis A and B vaccines.
Adults who need protection very quickly (eg within 48 hours of exposure) can have a schedule of 0, 7 and 21 days. After an accelerated course, a booster at one year is recommended.
The duration of protection provided by the hepatitis B vaccine is still unknown.
It is quite possible that a course may give lifelong immunity. However, it is recommended that individuals at continuing risk of infection should be offered a single booster dose of vaccine, once only, around five years after primary immunisation. Measurement of hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) levels is not required either before or after this dose.
