Vaccine for Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B Vaccine
It takes only a few shots to protect yourself and your loved
ones against hepatitis B for a lifetime.

The hepatitis B vaccine is a safe and effective vaccine that is

recommended for all infants at birth and for children up to 18
years. The hepatitis B vaccine is also recommended for adults
living with diabetes and those at high risk for infection due to
their jobs, lifestyle, living situations, or country of birth. Since
everyone is at some risk, all adults should seriously consider
getting the hepatitis B vaccine for a lifetime protection
against a preventable chronic liver disease.

The hepatitis B vaccine is also known as the first “anti-cancer”

vaccine because it prevents hepatitis B, the leading cause of
liver cancer worldwide.

You cannot get hepatitis B from the vaccine. All hepatitis B

vaccines that have been used since 1986 are made
synthetically – meaning the hepatitis B vaccines do
not contain any blood products. Learn more.

If you have a current HBV infection (HBsAg positive) or have

recovered from a past HBV infection, the hepatitis B vaccine
series will not benefit you or clear the virus. However, the
vaccine will provide a lifetime of protection for loved ones.
Testing is the only way to know if you or your loved ones have
a current infection or have recovered from a past infection.  

Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendations

The hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for all infants and
children up to age 18 years by the World Health Organization
(WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). The CDC also recommends that adults in
high-risk groups be vaccinated (see below).

Every person may be at some risk for a hepatitis B infection

during their lifetime, so getting the hepatitis B vaccine should
be considered by all people. There are, however, groups that
the CDC recommends should definitely receive the hepatitis B
vaccine, which are listed below:

 All infants, beginning at birth

 All children aged <19 years who have not been
vaccinated previously
 Susceptible sexual partners of hepatitis B-positive
persons
 Sexually active persons who are not in a long-term,
mutually monogamous relationship (e.g., >one sex partner
during the previous six months)
 Persons seeking evaluation or treatment for a sexually
transmitted disease
 Men who have sex with men
 Injection drug users
 Susceptible household contacts of hepatitis B-positive
persons
 Healthcare and public safety workers at risk for exposure
to blood
 Persons with end-stage renal disease, including pre-
dialysis, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and home
dialysis patients
 Residents and staff of facilities for developmentally
disabled persons
 Travelers to and families adopting from countries where
hepatitis B is common (e.g. Asia, Africa, South America,
Pacific Islands, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East)
 Persons with chronic liver disease, other than hepatitis B
(e.g. cirrhosis, fatty liver disease, etc.)
 Persons with hepatitis C infection
 Persons with HIV infection
 Adults with diabetes aged 19 through 59 years (clinicians
can decide whether or not to vaccinate their diabetic
patients ≥60 years)
 All other persons seeking protection from HBV infection
— acknowledgment of a specific risk factor is not a
requirement for vaccination
Three-Dose Hepatitis B Vaccine Schedule
The hepatitis B vaccine is available at your doctor's office and
local health department or clinic. Three doses are generally
required to complete the hepatitis B vaccine series, although
there is an accelerated two-dose series for adolescents age
11 through 15 years.  It is important to remember that babies
born to infected mothers must receive the first dose of
hepatitis B vaccine in the delivery room or within the first 12
hours of life (learn more about hepatitis B and pregnancy).

 1st Shot - At any given time, but newborns should receive

this dose in the delivery room
 2nd Shot - At least one month (or 28 days) after the 1st
shot
 3rd Shot - At least 4 months (16 weeks) after the 1st shot
(and at least 2 months after the 2nd shot). Infants should be
a minimum of 24 weeks old at the time of the 3rd shot. 
You do not need to restart the hepatitis B vaccine series if you
miss any of the shots. For example, if you start the vaccine
series and stop, then get the 2nd shot when you can and make
sure to get the 3rd shot at least two months later. Or, if you get
the first two doses of vaccine and miss the third dose, then
just schedule the last shot when you can.

To be certain that you are protected against hepatitis B, ask

for a simple blood test to check your “antibody titers” that will
confirm whether the vaccination was successful.

Two-Dose Hepatitis B Vaccine Schedule for Adults

In November 2017, a vaccine was approved by the FDA for
use in the U.S. Heplisav-B (Dynavax) is a two-dose vaccine
approved for use in adults aged 18 and older. The vaccine is
administered as two doses given one-month apart. 
Ask your doctor about the 2-dose vaccine. You can now
find Heplisav-B  at more than 1,700 Albertsons Companies'
store pharmacies across the US. For assistance accessing
this vaccine, you can contact Heplisav-B's Access Navigator
at 1-844-375-4728.  

The HEPLISAV-B® Pregnancy Registry Now Open and

Enrolling
The HEPLISAV-B® [Hepatitis B Vaccine (Recombinant),
Adjuvanted] Pregnancy Registry is an observational study
being conducted in the United States (US) to evaluate
pregnancy outcomes in women vaccinated with HEPLISAV-
B® within 28 days prior to conception or at any time during
pregnancy. The purpose of the registry is to understand the
effect of vaccination with HEPLISAV-B® during pregnancy.

The information collected will provide doctors with an

understanding of the effect (if any) of HEPLISAV-B® exposure
during pregnancy. This Registry is sponsored by Dynavax
Technologies Corporation and is managed by Pharmaceutical
Product Development (PPD), Inc. For additional information
please call 1-844-443-7734 or
email heplisavbpregnancyregistry@ppdi.com.

Hepatitis B Vaccine Safety and Side Effects

More than 1 billion doses of the hepatitis B vaccine have been
given worldwide and it is considered one of the safest and
most effective vaccines ever made. Numerous studies
looking at the vaccine's safety have been conducted by the
World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, and many different medical societies.

No evidence has been found that the hepatitis B vaccine

causes sudden infant deaths (SIDs), autism, multiple
sclerosis, or other neurological disorders.

Common side effects from the hepatitis B vaccine may include

soreness, swelling and redness at the injection site. The
vaccine may not be recommended for those with documented
yeast allergies or a history of an adverse reaction to the
vaccine.