Hepatitis B is spread when blood, semen, or other body fluid infected with the hepatitis B virus enters the body of a person who is not infected. People can become infected through:

• Birth (if a mother has hepatitis B, her baby can become infected)
• Sharing items such as razors or toothbrushes with an infected person
• Contact with the blood or open sores of an infected person
• Sex with an infected partner
• Sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment
• Exposure to blood from needlesticks or other sharp instruments

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone between the ages of zero and eighteen receive the hepatitis B vaccine to prevent disease. They also recommend that adults receive the vaccine if they are at high risk of contracting the virus. If you have been in a situation listed above where you may have been exposed to hepatitis B, we recommend you get vaccinated.

Full, long-term protection is best achieved in three to four doses of the vaccine depending on which vaccine you receive. Children should get their first dose at birth and complete all of their treatments by the age of six months. For adults, we recommend the same dosage count, but with a span of about 16 weeks between dose one and dose three. For information regarding our process, contact us today.

If you received the full hepatitis B vaccine treatment as a child, your protection will last for a long time — at least 30 years — and in many cases, will last permanently. If you are unsure about whether or not you need the hepatitis B vaccine as an adult, contact us today. We would be glad to help you determine whether or not you need to be vaccinated.

The hepatitis B vaccine is typically given to newborns before discharge from the hospital. They are also given during adulthood to high-risk persons or persons who are about to travel to places with high rates of hepatitis B. If you think you are at risk of contracting hepatitis B or are about to travel to a high-risk area, schedule an appointment today to get protection.

If you have already been diagnosed with acute hepatitis B, a vaccine will not help you with immunity since you have already fought off the disease. If you have long-term hepatitis B, getting the vaccine will not help you fight off the virus.