Hepatitis B Vaccine
The hepatitis B vaccine (HBV) is recommended for:
- Children and adolescents.
- Adults:
- Sex partners of people infected with HBV.
- Men who have sex with men.
- People who inject street drugs.
- People with more than one sex partner.
- People with chronic liver or kidney disease.
- People with jobs that expose them to human blood.
- Household contacts of people infected with HBV.
- Residents and staff in institutions for the developmentally disabled.
- Kidney dialysis patients.
- People who travel to countries where hepatitis B is common.
- People with HIV infection.
- Anyone else who wants to be protected from HBV infection.
The vaccine should be given:
- To children at birth and the vaccine series should be completed by age 6-18
months.
- Children and adolescents through age 18 years who did not get the
vaccine when they were younger should also be vaccinated.
- For others, the hepatitis B vaccine series may be started whenever a
person is at risk of infection.
Washington State is currently supplying:
- GlaxoSmithKline hepatitis B vaccine, Engerix-B. The vaccine has
typical availability.
Guidelines
for the Use of State Supplied Vaccines (PDF117kb) (04/04/08)
Vaccine Management - Recommendation for Storage and Handling of
Vaccines
Vaccine Information Statements:
Fact Sheet:
Related Information:
External Resources:
Last Update:
06/24/2008 02:52 PM
