Hepatitis B vaccination

Hepatitis B vaccination

Authors : American Academy of Pediatrics

What is hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is a very serious infection that primarily affects the liver. This disease is caused by the hepatitis B virus.

• In 2009, about 38,000 people in the United States became infected with hepatitis B.
• Every year, 2,000 to 4,000 people die in the United States from cirrhosis of the liver or cancer caused by hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B can cause:

• acute (short-term) illness,
  which is manifested by the following symptoms: loss of appetite;
• diarrhea and vomiting;
• weakness;
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• pain in muscles, joints and stomach.

Acute illness accompanied by these symptoms is more common among adults. Children who become infected with hepatitis B are usually asymptomatic.

• a chronic (long-term) infection
  that usually has few symptoms but can lead to: liver damage (cirrhosis);
• liver cancer;
• of death.

Chronic infection is more common among infants and children than among adults. People who suffer from chronic hepatitis can transmit the hepatitis virus to others. The main danger is that carriers of a dangerous virus in most cases do not look sick and do not feel sick, and the worst thing is that they often do not know about their illness at all. In the United States, the number of people who have chronic hepatitis B may reach 1.4 million.

How is the hepatitis B virus transmitted?

The hepatitis B virus spreads easily through the blood and other body fluids of an infected person. People can also become infected through contact with contaminated objects, on which the virus can live for 7 days.

• A child whose mother has hepatitis can become infected with it at birth.
• Children, adolescents and adults can become infected by: contact with the blood or body fluids of an ill person through breaks in the skin such as bites, cuts or sores;
• contact with objects containing particles of blood or body fluids of the patient, such as toothbrushes, razors or devices for monitoring (sugar level control) and diabetes treatment;
• unprotected sex with an infected person;
• sharing needles when injecting drugs;
• contact with a needle used by an infected person.

Why should you get vaccinated against hepatitis B?

Vaccination can prevent hepatitis B disease and prevent the serious consequences of hepatitis infection, including liver cancer and cirrhosis.

Hepatitis B vaccination can be given on its own or in combination with other vaccines.

Since 1982, routine hepatitis B vaccination has been recommended for some American adults and children, and since 1991, all children in the United States have been given the vaccine. Since 1990, the number of new hepatitis B infections among children and adolescents has decreased by more than 95% and in other age groups by 75%.

Vaccination provides long-term, up to lifelong, protection against hepatitis B infection.

Who should be vaccinated against hepatitis B and when?

Children and teenagers

Children usually receive 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine:

1st dose - at birth;

2nd dose - at 1–2 months;

3rd dose - at the age of 6–18 months.

Some children can receive 4 doses of the vaccine - for example, if complex vaccines are used during vaccination, which also include a hepatitis vaccine. An additional dose of the vaccine will not harm the child.

• Anyone under 18 who has not been vaccinated should be vaccinated.

Adults

• All unvaccinated adults who, due to their lifestyle or profession, are at risk of contracting hepatitis should be vaccinated. This list includes the following groups of citizens: sex partners infected with the hepatitis B virus;
• men who have sex with men;
• injecting drug users;
• having more than one sexual partner;
• having chronic liver or kidney diseases;
• aged 60 years and older with diabetes;
• those whose work involves the risk of infection due to the possibility of contact with human blood or other body fluids of patients with hepatitis;
• family members of a person infected with hepatitis who live with him and are in constant contact at home;
• employees of institutions for mentally retarded people, as well as patients of such institutions;
• kidney dialysis patients;
• traveling or on business to countries where hepatitis B is common;
• HIV-infected people.

But under certain circumstances, your doctor may suggest a different vaccination schedule for you, which may differ from the established vaccination schedule.

Who should not receive the hepatitis B vaccine?

Anyone with a life-threatening allergy to yeast or any other component of the hepatitis B vaccine should not receive the vaccine. Be sure to inform your doctor if you have any serious allergies.

Anyone who has had a life-threatening allergic reaction to a previous dose of hepatitis B vaccine should not receive another dose of that vaccine.

Anyone who is moderately or severely ill when a vaccine dose is scheduled to be given should wait until they have recovered before getting vaccinated.

Your doctor can give you more information about all the precautions you need to take before getting the vaccine.

Note:

you may be asked to wait 28 days after your hepatitis B vaccine before you can donate blood. This is due to the fact that during the screening test in this case an error is possible: the vaccine detected in the blood (and blood after vaccination is absolutely safe) may be perceived as hepatitis infection.

Is it dangerous to get vaccinated against hepatitis B?

Vaccination against hepatitis B is currently safe. Most people don't even notice the inconvenience associated with it. The vaccine contains non-infectious (non-infectious) material and therefore cannot cause hepatitis B infection.

But some small reactions of the body are possible:

• soreness at the injection site (1 out of 4 people);
• a fever of 37.7°C (99.9°F) or slightly higher (in about 1 in 15 people).

More serious problems are extremely rare. Severe allergic reactions are thought to occur approximately once every 1.1 million vaccinations.

Any vaccine, like any medicine, can cause serious reactions. But the risk of serious complications or death after vaccination with this vaccine is extremely small. More than 100 million people in the United States have now been vaccinated against hepatitis B.

What should I do if I have a moderate or severe reaction after vaccination?

It is imperative to monitor whether an unusual reaction of the body appears after vaccination:

• heat;
• strange behavior;
• allergies, which may include: difficulty breathing;
• hoarseness or wheezing;
• rash;
• pallor;
• weakness;
• cardiopalmus;
• dizziness.

What should you do if the above symptoms occur?

Call your doctor or go to him immediately.

Tell the doctor about what happened, name the date and time of vaccination and any adverse reactions.

Ask your doctor, nurse, or health department to report your reaction to this vaccine to the vaccine-related adverse reaction service.

Source

published 07/28/2015 13:49 updated 02/16/2016 — Vaccination

How to refuse vaccinations for a newborn in a maternity hospital

Voluntary informed consent to preventive vaccinations for children or refusal of them

1. I, the undersigned__________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

(last name, first name, patronymic of the parent (other legal representative)

minor under 15 years of age, minor, sick

drug addiction, under 16 years of age)/minor over the age of

15 years old, minor, drug addict, over 16 years old)

____________________________________________________ the year of birth,

(indicate the year of birth of the minor aged

over 15 years old, minor, drug addict, over 16 years old)

I hereby confirm that I have been informed by the doctor:

a) that a preventive vaccination is an introduction into the body

human medical immunobiological preparation to create

specific immunity to infectious diseases;

b) about the need for preventive vaccination, possible

post-vaccination complications, consequences of refusal;

c) about medical assistance during preventive vaccinations,

including a mandatory medical examination of a minor aged

up to 18 years of age before vaccination (and, if necessary, medical

examination), which is included in the State Guarantee Program

providing citizens of the Russian Federation with free medical care and

provided in state and municipal institutions

health care free;

d) on compliance with the instructions of medical workers.

2. I have been informed that, in accordance with paragraph 2

Article 5 of the Federal Law of September 17, 1998 N157-FZ “On

immunoprophylaxis of infectious diseases"*(1) lack of preventive

vaccinations entail:

a ban on citizens traveling to countries where they are staying in

in accordance with international health regulations or

international treaties of the Russian Federation requires specific

preventive vaccinations;

temporary refusal to admit citizens to educational and recreational institutions

institutions in the event of mass infectious diseases or

when there is a threat of epidemics;

refusal to hire citizens or removal of citizens from work,

the implementation of which is associated with a high risk of infectious diseases

diseases (decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 15

1999 No. 825 “On approval of the list of works, the implementation of which is related to

high risk of infectious diseases and requires

mandatory preventive vaccinations”*(2).

I had the opportunity to ask any questions and to all questions

received comprehensive answers.

Having received full information about the need to carry out

preventive vaccination ______________________________________________,

(name of vaccination)

possible vaccination reactions and post-vaccination complications,

consequences of refusing it, I confirm that I understand the meaning of all

terms, and:

I voluntarily agree to be vaccinated *(3)

_________________________________________________________________________

(name of vaccination)

(I voluntarily refuse vaccination

________________________________________________________________________,

(name of vaccination)

to a minor _____________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________. (indicate the last name, first name, patronymic and year of birth of a minor under the age of 15 years/a minor with drug addiction, under the age of 16 years)

I, the undersigned*(4)__________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

(last name, first name, patronymic of the parent (other legal representative)

minor under 15 years of age, minor, sick

drug addiction, under 16 years of age)/minor over the age of

15 years old, minor, drug addict, over 16 years of age

years)

Date ___________________ ______________________

(signature)

I certify that I have clarified all issues related to the conduct of

preventive vaccinations for minors, and gave answers to all

questions.

Doctor ________________________ ___________ Date _______________

(last name, first name, patronymic) (signature)

________________________________________________________________________________

*(1) Collection of legislation of the Russian Federation, 1998, No. 38, art. 4736; 2000, No. 33, art. 3348; 2003, No. 2, art. 167; 2004, No. 35, art. 3607; 2005, No. 1 (part 1), art. 25; 2006, No. 27, art. 2879; 2007, No. 43, art. 5084; No. 49, art. 6070; 2008, No. 30 (part 2), art. 361; No. 52 (part 1), art. 6236; 2009, No. 1, art. 21.

*(2) Collection of legislation of the Russian Federation, 1999, No. 29, art. 3766.

*(3) Underline what is necessary.

*(4) To be completed for minors under the age of 15, minors with drug addiction, under the age of 16.