You’ve probably seen the hepatitis B vaccine in the news lately.
If you’re wondering what the buzz is all about, let’s start with the basics.
Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The infection can be short-term or last lifelong, causing serious complications such as liver failure, liver cancer and even death.
“Hepatitis B is a dangerous infection – it can be life-threatening to a person of any age who contracts it,” said Dr. Deborah L. Wexler, Founder and Executive Director Emeritus, Immunization Action Coalition.
The hepatitis B virus is highly contagious and therefore spreads very easily through body fluids. Even sharing a toothbrush can transmit HBV. And the virus can also live on surfaces for days.
About half of people with hepatitis B have no symptoms, meaning they can pass on the virus without even knowing they have it.
The good news is that hepatitis B is preventable thanks to the vaccine. Since 1991, the recommendation has been to give all newborns the first of three doses of hepatitis B vaccine at birth. After the recommendation was implemented, hepatitis B infections in children fell by 99%.
This is where the latest news comes in: Earlier this month, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to withdraw the recommendation that every newborn be vaccinated against hepatitis B at birth (so-called “universal birth dose”) and now recommends the birth dose only for newborns whose mothers have tested positive for the virus. For other newborns, ACIP now recommends receiving the first dose of the vaccine “no earlier than two months of age.”
Wexler, who has spent much of her career implementing birth dosing in the U.S., said reversing the general birth dosing recommendation is dangerous for several reasons.
For one thing, many pregnant women are not tested for hepatitis B, which puts their newborn at risk during birth.
When newborns and children up to 5 years old are infected, they often become lifelong carriers of the virus and are more likely to have serious health problems.
The best way to prevent hepatitis B infection is through vaccination.
Here are 4 things you need to know about the hepatitis B vaccine.
1. The hepatitis B vaccine protects you for life.
Most people have lifelong immunity after the hepatitis B vaccination. However, for full protection, you must receive all doses.
The number of vaccinations and the waiting time between doses vary depending on the vaccine.
2. The hepatitis B vaccine is safe.
Decades of research have shown that the vaccine protects against hepatitis B safely and effectively and that side effects are few, if any.
3. The hepatitis B vaccine protects against the various routes of transmission of the virus.
Hepatitis B is transmitted through contact with infected body fluids (saliva, vaginal secretions, semen, blood).
Most people are exposed to the virus through:
- birth
- Sexual contact
- Share needles
But you can also become infected with hepatitis B through infected surfaces. The vaccine protects against all types of virus exposure.
4. Hepatitis B vaccination at birth is the most effective way to prevent unnecessary infections.
If babies wait two months to get the hepatitis B vaccine, they have a two-month window in which to become infected with the virus when their immune systems are still young and vulnerable. In addition, not all pregnant women are tested for active or chronic hepatitis B. In fact, an estimated 500,000 pregnant women in the United States are not tested each year, leaving their status unknown at the time of delivery.
Protection for the future
Wexler said the vaccine is a matter of public safety and will help you and your loved ones – and really everyone – live free of chronic liver disease.
“[Without the universal birth dose]many of these babies will fall through the cracks. If there is no hepatitis B result in the table and they are not vaccinated, these children are at high risk of contracting hepatitis B from their mothers. So the universal birth dose is a safety net – and safety nets are what public health is all about. “We have the opportunity to eliminate hepatitis B in the United States – and around the world – through the use of this vaccine,” Wexler said.
resources
Hepatitis B Foundation
Coalition for vaccination campaigns
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