Hepatitis B Vaccine - Price, Dose, Side effects

The Hepatitis B vaccine protects the baby from hepatitis B. To know about this vaccine, you have to understand what is Hepatitis B and how it spreads. Hepatitis B is caused by hepatitis B virus in infants or adults. This virus spreads from one person to another. The Hepatitis B virus affects the liver. Complications caused by hepatitis can last for a few weeks or even longer.

The hepatitis B virus reacts in two ways. Some of its viruses show acute hepatitis B virus, while some viruses show their effect after a long time, they can also be called chronic hepatitis B virus.

A baby or a person gets hepatitis B within six months after being exposed to the acute reactivated virus. It is considered a curable disease. Its patient has symptoms of fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. Along with this, the person also starts having jaundice, and pain in the muscles, stomach, and joints.

With chronic hepatitis B virus infection, the patient remains ill for a long time. This infection occurs when the virus stays in the person's body for a long time. Most people infected with this type of virus do not show any symptoms, but it increases the risk of liver damage (liver cirrhosis), liver cancer, and death. Patients of this disease can also infect other people with Hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B is spread through blood, semen, and other body fluids such as saliva. The chances of getting infected with this virus are high in the following ways:

• At or after birth (if the baby's mother is infected with the hepatitis virus)
• Using a shaving kit or toothbrush of an infected person.
• By coming in contact with wounds or blood of an infected person.
• Having sex with a person who has the virus.
• Reusing injections.
• Coming in contact with infected blood on a sharp instrument.

The Hepatitis B vaccine is used only to prevent hepatitis in infants and other adults. The hepatitis B vaccine is made from a portion of the hepatitis B virus; the portion of the virus in the vaccine does not cause hepatitis B infection. Usually, three to four doses of this vaccine are given within six months to prevent hepatitis B.

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The Hepatitis B vaccine is given to the baby from the time of birth. Infants and adults are given three doses of hepatitis B vaccine, while in some cases four doses may be given. Learn more about the right age to get the Hepatitis B vaccine in detail below -

• First dose - At birth, 0.5 ml.
• Second dose - 0.5 ml in between one to two months.
• Third dose - Between 6 to 18 months, 0.5 ml.

Adults are given 1 milliliter of hepatitis B vaccine per dose. Recently, foreign health organizations have recommended two doses of HepB-CpG as an alternative to the hepatitis B vaccine for people 18 years of age or older.

Who should get the hepatitis B vaccine?

The following people should receive the hepatitis B vaccine -

• All newborns
• Children and adolescents who have not received the vaccine even once by the time they are 19 years old.
• Those who are at risk of getting a sexual infection.
• People with diabetes aged 19 to 59.
• If someone in the household is infected with hepatitis B, everyone else in the household should get the vaccine.
• Reusing a needle or injection by an adult.
• To people caring for the sick.
• Traveling to a country where the risk of hepatitis B is high.
• When infected with the hepatitis C virus.
• Having liver disease for a long time.
• On HIV infection.
• To prevent hepatitis B virus.

To know an Ayurvedic treatment for fatty liver in detail, please click on the link given here.

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There are many hepatitis B vaccines available in India. Depending on the quantity of this vaccine, its price also varies. Some important vaccines are mentioned below along with the price -

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The side effects of the hepatitis B vaccine are very mild and go away within a few days. At present, the side effects caused by the vaccine are being explained in detail below -

• Swelling and redness at the site of injection.
• Fever
• Irritability
• Weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Back pain
• Trouble sleeping
• Flushing - A feeling of warmth in the skin and redness in the face, upper chest, and neck.
• Change in taste
• Headache
• Tiredness
• Throat pain
• Running nose
• Nausea

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The Hepatitis vaccine is not given to everyone. In certain circumstances, people should not receive the hepatitis B vaccine or should receive it only on the advice of their doctor. Learn more about the circumstances under which you should not take the hepatitis vaccine or talk to your doctor -

• If a person has had a severe allergic reaction to the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine, that person should consult their doctor before receiving the second dose of hepatitis B vaccine.
• You can take the vaccine if you have mild symptoms of a disease such as a cold. However, if you have severe symptoms of the disease, you should wait a while before getting the hepatitis B vaccine.
• If you are allergic to yeast, any ingredients of hepatitis B, or any medications, talk to your doctor before receiving the hepatitis B vaccine.
• If you have any health problems, such as liver disease or diabetes, ask your doctor before getting the hepatitis B vaccine.
• Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant should consult their doctor before receiving the hepatitis B vaccine. There is no evidence that the hepatitis B vaccine will harm an unborn baby, but you should talk to your doctor about the possible harm of the vaccine.
• You should also consult a doctor if you are breastfeeding or planning to start breastfeeding a baby.
• If you are already taking vitamins, any medications or supplements, or herbal products, the hepatitis B vaccine may interact with those medications. You should also take this vaccine only after consulting your doctor on reactions to other drugs and the hepatitis B vaccine.

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A recent study in India found that whether vaccination is given at home or in the hospital, most newborns are protected against infection with this hepatitis virus. After taking this vaccine in ninety percent of the cases, the child is protected from this disease.

Also, this study found very small differences between the two conditions when considering the difference between giving all three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine to babies born at home and in a hospital. A 4.6 percent chance of the baby getting the infection was found if the hepatitis B vaccine was not taken.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP/ Advisory Committee on immunization practices) has given the following suggestions on this vaccine -

• The Hepatitis B vaccine should be given within 24 hours of birth to an infant weighing 2 kg or more.
• HBsAg test for pregnant women to check for hepatitis B virus.
• A person with severe liver disease (such as fatty liver, cirrhosis, alcoholic liver disease)
• An infant whose mother's HBsG status is not known should be given a serologic test after giving the vaccine.

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The only way to prevent hepatitis B is to get vaccinated. By the way, this problem usually happens to the newborn, but older people can also be a victim of it and most diabetes patients have this problem. Therefore, vaccination must be taken to avoid Hepatitis B.

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