Immunizations - Pneumococcal Pneumonia

Hepatitis B

About 2 billion people have been infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) worldwide, and each year 1 million people die, mostly due to cirrhosis and liver cancers that develop in the chronic form of this disease. In the U.S., about 1.25 million people have chronic hepatitis B.

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Pregnant women with hepatitis B can transmit the virus to their babies. Even if they are not infected at birth, unvaccinated children of infected mothers run a 60% risk of developing hepatitis B before age 5. Although hepatitis B infections have dropped 95% since routine immunization began in the early 1990s, there are still children who aren't immunized, and the disease persists. Universal vaccination against this disease during childhood is very important.

Vaccine for Hepatitis B

Several inactivated virus vaccines, including Recombivax HB, GenHevac B, Hepagene, and Engerix-B, can prevent hepatitis B. Twinrix is a vaccine against both hepatitis A and B. These vaccines are safe, even for infants and children. Vaccination programs are proving to reduce the risk for liver cancer.

Click the icon to see an image of hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B Vaccine for Early Childhood. Experts now recommend that all infants and children not previously vaccinated be immunized by the time they reach seventh grade. Typical schedules for hepatitis B vaccinations in childhood are as follows:

• All infants should receive the hepatitis B vaccine soon after birth and before hospital discharge. (The first dose may be delayed if the mother has no evidence of infection, but only with the doctor's permission.) The second dose should be given at 1 - 2 months; and the third between 6 and 18 months (at least 16 weeks after first dose and 8 weeks after second dose). (A fourth dose may also be given if any of the previous doses was a combination vaccine.) This is a safe vaccine, even in newborns, and parents should be sure their infants are immunized.
• Infants of mothers infected with hepatitis B should be treated with immune globulin plus the hepatitis B vaccine within 12 hours of birth. The second dose should be given at 1 - 2 months and the third at 6 months. Infants born to infected mothers should be tested for antibody status at 9 - 18 months to see if they are chronic virus carriers or need to be revaccinated. Immunization rates are still too low in this group.
• When it is not known if a mother is infected, the infant should receive the vaccine within 12 hours of birth. The mother's blood should then be tested right away. If she is infected, the infant should receive immune globulins within 1 week of birth.
• Children who are 11 - 12 and who have not been immunized should receive 2 or 3 doses of the vaccine (depending on the brand) given over a few months.