Navajo County Public Health Services
Nursing Services
Hepatitus B Vaccine
Hepatitis B is a serious disease.
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) can cause short-term (acute) illness that leads to:
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loss of appetite
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tiredness
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pain in muscles, joints and stomach
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diarrhea and vomiting
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jaundice (yellow skin or eyes)
It can also cause long-term (chronic) illness that leads to:
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liver damage (cirrhosis)
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liver cancer
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death
About 1.25 million people in the U.S. have chronic HBV infection.
Each year it is estimated that:
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80,000 people, mostly young adults, get infected with HBV
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More than 11,000 people have to stay in the hospital because of hepatitis B
More than 11,000 people have to stay in the hospital because of hepatitis B
Heptatis B virus is spread through contact with the blood and body fluids of an
infected person. A person can get infected in several ways, such as:
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by having unprotected sex with an infected person
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by sharing needles when injecting illegal drugs
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by sharing needles when injecting illegal drugs
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during birth when the virus passes from an infected mother to her baby
About 1/3 of people who are infected with hepatitis B in the United States don’t
know how they got it.
People should get 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine according to the following
schedule. If you miss a dose or get behind schedule, get the next dose
as soon as you can. There is no need to start over.
|
Hepatitis B Vaccination Schedule
|
WHO? |
|
|
Infant whose mother is infected with hepatitis B Virus |
Infant whose mother is not infected with hepatitis B Virus |
Older child, adolescent, or adult |
W
H
E
N
? |
First Dose |
Within 12 hours of birth |
Birth - 2 months of age |
Anytime |
|
Second Dose |
1 - 2 months of age |
1 - 4 months of age (at least 1 month after first dose) |
1 - 2 months after first dose |
|
Third Dose |
6 months of age |
6 - 18 months of age |
4 - 6 months after first dose |
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The second dose must be given at least 1 month after the first dose.
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The thrid dose must be given at least 2 months after the second dose and at least
4 months after the first.
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The third dose should not be given to infants under 6 months of age, because this
could reduce long-term protection.
For more information, visit your local health department or Center for Disease Control
and Prevention, Arizona Department of Health.
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