The hepatitis B vaccine is safe and the research shows that it works well.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Jefferson T, Demicheli V, Deeks J, et al.
Vaccines for preventing hepatitis B in health-care workers (Cochrane review).
In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 4, 2005. Wiley, Chichester, UK.

 

 

 

 

 

¹

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Coutinho RA, Lelie N, Albrecht VL.
Efficacy of a heat inactivated hepatitis B vaccine in male homosexuals: outcome of a placebo controlled double blind trial.
BMJ. 1983; 286: 1305-1308.

 

 

 

 

 

²

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Szmuness W, Stevens CE, Zang EA, et al.
A controlled clinical trial of the efficacy of the hepatitis B vaccine (Heptavax B): a final report.
Hepatology. 1981; 1: 377-385.

 

 

 

 

 

³

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Francis DP, Hadler SC, Thompson SE, et al.
The prevention of hepatitis B with vaccine. Report of the centers for disease control multi-center efficacy trial among homosexual men.
Annals of Internal Medicine. 1982; 97: 362-366.

 

 

 

 

 

⁴ The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that all newborn babies should get a vaccine for hepatitis B. This is to keep the number of people with hepatitis B as low as possible.

In the United States, all babies should get the hepatitis B vaccine when they are born. This is to stop them from getting hepatitis B when they are older.

If your child has not had the hepatitis vaccine, or if you are not sure if they've had the vaccine or not, talk to your doctor. If you are pregnant you might like to know when your baby will get the vaccine. Or you might wonder where you can get your baby vaccinated. For more information, see When will my baby get the vaccine?

It's not just children and babies who can get vaccines. If you think your lifestyle or job puts you at risk of getting hepatitis B, you might be offered a vaccine.

If you already have hepatitis B, there are drugs that may get rid of the infection. For more information, see Drug treatments for hepatitis B.

Vaccines for hepatitis B are made with a tiny, harmless part of the virus that cannot make you ill.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Department of Health.
Immunisation against infectious diseases - the Green Book.
2006. Available at http://www.dh.gov.uk (accessed on 24 July 2007).

 

 

 

 

 

⁵ After having the vaccine, your body makes antibodies against the hepatitis B virus that protect you from getting the actual hepatitis B virus in the future. So, if you ever come into contact hepatitis B, your body fights it off without you feeling ill.

You will have the shot in your upper arm. Babies have it in their thigh. You need three shots for the vaccine to work properly. You have the first two shots one month apart and you get the third six months later.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
World Gastroenterology Organisation.
WGO-OGME practice guideline: hepatitis B vaccination.
November 2002. Available at http://www.omge.org/globalguidelines/guide06/guideline6.htm (accessed on 24 July 2007).

 

 

 

 

 

⁶

There's some good research among different groups of people that looks at the hepatitis B vaccine. The research shows that the vaccine protects people against getting hepatitis B. For example, one study from Alaska found that vaccinating newborn babies, and using "catch-up" vaccines for older children, led to a big reduction in the amount of people who were infected with hepatitis B in the following years.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Harpaz R, McMahon BJ, Margolis HS, et al.
Elimination of new chronic hepatitis B virus infections: results of the Alaska immunisation program.
Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2000; 181: 413-418.

 

 

 

 

 

⁷

We also found four different studies that showed the vaccine is likely to protect adults whose job or lifestyle puts them at greater risk of getting hepatitis B. For example, one study of 2,701 health care workers who could have got exposed to body fluids found that the hepatitis B vaccine greatly reduced their risk of becoming infected.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Jefferson T, Demicheli V, Deeks J, et al.
Vaccines for preventing hepatitis B in health-care workers (Cochrane review).
In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 4, 2005. Wiley, Chichester, UK.

 

 

 

 

 

¹

Three other studies looked at how well the vaccine worked in homosexual men. All the studies found that the vaccine helped to protect them against getting hepatitis B.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Coutinho RA, Lelie N, Albrecht VL.
Efficacy of a heat inactivated hepatitis B vaccine in male homosexuals: outcome of a placebo controlled double blind trial.
BMJ. 1983; 286: 1305-1308.

 

 

 

 

 

²

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Szmuness W, Stevens CE, Zang EA, et al.
A controlled clinical trial of the efficacy of the hepatitis B vaccine (Heptavax B): a final report.
Hepatology. 1981; 1: 377-385.

 

 

 

 

 

³

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Francis DP, Hadler SC, Thompson SE, et al.
The prevention of hepatitis B with vaccine. Report of the centers for disease control multi-center efficacy trial among homosexual men.
Annals of Internal Medicine. 1982; 97: 362-366.

 

 

 

 

 

⁴

If you are pregnant and have hepatitis B or are a chronic carrier, you could pass the virus on to your baby. We found one study, which looked at pregnant women who had the virus. It found that when the women had their babies vaccinated soon after they were born, it reduced the chance that their babies would get the infection (and therefore the serious liver problems that could come with it).

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Noto H, Terao T, Ryou S, et al.
Combined passive and active immunoprophylaxis for preventing perinatal transmission of the hepatitis B virus carrier state in Shizuoka, Japan during 1980-1994.
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2003; 18: 943-949.

 

 

 

 

 

⁸ Babies in this study were also given hepatitis B immunoglobulin. To learn more see Drug treatments for hepatitis B.

The hepatitis B vaccine has been linked with some minor side effects. It might make your arm feel sore. In studies, a few people felt dizzy after the shot.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Coutinho RA, Lelie N, Albrecht VL.
Efficacy of a heat inactivated hepatitis B vaccine in male homosexuals: outcome of a placebo controlled double blind trial.
BMJ. 1983; 286: 1305-1308.

 

 

 

 

 

²

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Francis DP, Hadler SC, Thompson SE, et al.
The prevention of hepatitis B with vaccine. Report of the centers for disease control multi-center efficacy trial among homosexual men.
Annals of Internal Medicine. 1982; 97: 362-366.

 

 

 

 

 

⁴

In one big study, the most common reactions were:

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Dobson S, Scheifele D, Bell A.
Assessment of a universal, school-based hepatitis B vaccination program.
Journal of the American Medical Association. 1995; 274: 1209-1213.

 

 

 

 

 

⁹

The information on ConsumerReportsHealth.org should not be viewed as a substitute for a consultation with a medical or health professional. The information is meant to enhance communication with your doctor, not replace it. Consumers Union can not be liable for any loss, injury, or other damages related to your use of this information.

Your use of this information is subject to our User Agreement available at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.