HBV infection leads to serious liver diseases, such as viral hepatitis and cirrhosis, it also leads to hepatocellular carcinoma which is a type of liver cancer. The disease can be transferred from the pregnant women to their babies when they are born. Few of those babies will suffer the long term serious effects of the disease.

 

Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for all newborn babies, infants, children, and adolescents. Hepatitis B virus vaccine is very effective when administered in early age group. All individuals below the age of 12 years are advised to get the vaccination done so as to have effective protection against the disease. The side effect profile more or less remains the same in all age groups. It is proved that the vaccine has minimal side effects to the lactating mother and the baby. Adults are also advised hepatitis B vaccination and also all those persons who are at increased risk of infection from hepatitis B virus like –

 

• Homosexual and bisexual males
• HIV infected males
• Those who have multiple sexual partners
• All those persons who are either handling or may need blood or blood borne products at any point of time
• Patients in Renal failure
• Persons undergoing Dialysis
• Persons with clotting disorders
• Persons using illicit intravenous drugs 

Vaccination

• Adults, adolescents, and older children— 20 micrograms intramuscularly on first day then one month after first dose and last one after 3 months of the first dose and thereafter one booster dose every 5 years
• Patients on dialysis need 40 micrograms injected intramuscularly on first day then one month and two month after first dose and the last dose after 3-6 months, so a total of four doses are administered to these patients in doubled dose
• Infants and young children need 2.5 to 20 micrograms intramuscularly into the thigh muscle with schedule being the same as those of the adults.

 

Side Effects

• Difficulty in breathing
• Itching
• Redness of skin
• Swelling of eyes and face
• Weakness
• Joint pain
• Fever
• Blurred vision or other vision changes
• Weakness
• Numbness and tingling of extremities
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Aches or pain in muscles
• Back pain or stiffness or pain in neck or shoulder
• Chills
• Diarrhea
• Increased sweating
• Headache
• Itching
• Lack of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting