Safe and effective vaccines are now available for protection against hepatitis B, a serious liver infection that can result in cirrhosis and liver cancer. However, infants born of mothers who are carriers of the hepatitis B virus can be protected. A simple blood test can determine whether someone is a hepatitis B carrier. For infants born to infected mothers - within 12 hours. For infants born to mothers who test negative - within one to two months following delivery.
Administration is by intramuscular injection in the thigh or upper arm.
Hepatitis B is caused by a virus and is spread through blood, other body fluids and contaminated needles. In the United States, there are about 1,000,000 carriers, who have no symptoms but can pass the infection on to others, and an estimated 300,000 new cases a year. A significant number of people with hepatitis B have no symptoms. Five to ten percent of hepatitis B young adult victims become chronic carriers, often without knowing it. Nine of ten infants infected become chronic carriers.