Importance of Hepatitis B Vaccination

Hepatitis B is one of the important vaccinations given to babies. Read on to know more about hepatitis B infection and when hepatitis B vaccines are given to babies.It is painful to allow your baby through the pain of a shot – but this small pain can save your baby’s life from a deadly disease. All babies should get the first shot of Hepatitis B Vaccine (HBV) before they are taken home from the hospital. In this articleWhat is Hepatitis B and How Serious Is It?What Are the Symptoms?How Do Babies Get Exposed to Hepatitis B?What is Hepatitis B Vaccine?When Should Your Child Get the Hepatitis B Vaccine?Why Is the Vaccine Recommended?Is the Hepatitis B Vaccine Safe?When to Avoid Hepatitis B Vaccine?What Care Is Needed After Hepatitis B Vaccine?What is Hepatitis B and How Serious Is It? Hepatitis B is an infectious liver disease led by hepatitis B virus. Once infected, your child can develop an acute infection that can range from a very mild illness with few or no symptoms to a serious condition requiring hospitalisation. Your child may be able to fight the infection or may become lifelong carrier of the virus, which may cause long-term problems like cirrhosis (liver disease) or liver cancer. People with lifelong hepatitis B usually do not have symptoms, but the virus causes liver damage over time. The infection is incurable but treatment can help preventing serious problems.What Are the Symptoms? No symptoms are usually seen in infants. As your child grows, he or she might show the following symptoms:Troubled eatingPain in muscles, joints, and stomachFeverNausea, diarrhoea, and vomitingTirednessYellow skin and eyesDark urineHow Do Babies Get Exposed to Hepatitis B? Your baby can get hepatitis B in the following ways:From infected motherBy touching open cuts or sores of an infected personFrom ear piercing needles that are not cleanedBy sharing personal items and food used by an infected personWhat is Hepatitis B Vaccine? The shot of HBV protects your child by preparing his or her body to fight the virus. It acts as a shield reducing the risk of getting the disease. But if the mother has hepatitis B, then Hepatitis B Immune Globulin (HBIG) is given, which works best within the first 12 hours of life. This will give your baby the extra boost to fight the virus as soon as he or she is born.When Should Your Child Get the Hepatitis B Vaccine? Your child generally needs three to four doses of HBV at the following ages:First dose at birth (HBIG within 12 hours if the mother has hepatitis B infection)Second dose at 1-3 monthsThird dose at 6-18 months Your baby may need a fourth dose depending on what the doctor recommends.Why Is the Vaccine Recommended? The HBV injection creates long-term immunity and protects your child from serious disease not only throughout their childhood but also into their adult years. Infants and young children, infected with hepatitis B, have a 90% chance of developing a chronic infection, including cancer. Eliminating the risk of infection also protects your child from risk for cirrhosis, and other liver diseases.Is the Hepatitis B Vaccine Safe? The HBV injection is very safe, as it has no serious side effects. At most, your child can have a low fever or soreness at the injection site.When to Avoid Hepatitis B Vaccine? It is better to avoid the HBV injection when your child is sick or has a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) after a previous dose of the vaccine or is allergic to baker’s yeast.What Care Is Needed After Hepatitis B Vaccine? Depending on your baby’s age, the doctor may recommend acetaminophen or ibuprofen for the mild fever and soreness in the injection site that may occur. Call the doctor if you are not sure of the recommended schedule for the HBV or about your own hepatitis B carrier state or any moderate or serious side effects occur after your child is injected. But do not let it loose, and you must take it seriously and finish every doses of the HBV for your child for his or her healthy future.When is hepatitis B vaccine usually given to babies? What is it important to give hepatitis B vaccine to babies? What care should be taken after giving hepatitis B vaccine to babies? Discuss here.