What is hepatitis B?
The hepatitis B virus causes long term infection of the liver. The virus can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy or contracted during childhood. In adulthood, transmission is most commonly through sexual contact, by sharing personal items like shaving razors or through intravenous drug use with non-sterile equipment.
FAQs
For which travellers is hepatitis B vaccination recommended?
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Travellers from Australia to countries with medium to high rates of hepatitis B carriage are recommended to be vaccinated if they will be travelling for a pronged period or making frequent short trips. Vaccination is also recommended for those with particular risk factors for contracting hepatitis B. Relevant destinations include Asia, Africa and elsewhere.
What is the dosing schedule for the hepatitis B vaccine?
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The usual schedule for adults is three doses, given at 0, 1 month and 6 months. Accelerated schedules are available for those at imminent risk of exposure. One such schedule incorporates doses at days 0, 7 and 21, with a booster given at 12 months.
How much does the hepatitis B vaccine cost?
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The cost varies, but some pharmacies provide hepatitis B vaccines at $25 to $30.
How long does the hepatitis B vaccine last?
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Studies have shown protective effects of hepatitis B vaccine for at least 30 years for those vaccinated in infancy.
What are the potential adverse effects of hepatitis B vaccination?
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Some people experience soreness at the injection site and 2 to 3 percent of people experience fever which is usually low-grade. Other minor side effects can include nausea, dizziness, joint and muscle pains. Severe allergic reactions to the vaccine a very rare.
What to Know
Hepatitis B Symptoms
After an incubation period of one to four months, infected people often suffer a combination of loss of appetite, nausea and abdominal pain. Liver function, measured by blood tests, becomes impaired. Some people experience a yellowing of the skin and sclera of the eyes, known as jaundice. This early phase of the illness usually lasts one to three months.
While most people make a full recovery, around five percent of adults go on to have long-term infection known as chronic hepatitis B. For children aged one to five years old, this proportion is much higher at 20 to 50 percent. Chronic hepatitis B infection usually requires monitoring using blood tests for long periods of time to detect flares of inflammation in the liver. Chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver, called cirrhosis, and a small proportion of cases will develop cancer of the liver.
Hepatitis B Diagnosis and Treatment
Hepatitis B infection is diagnosed using a blood test to detect circulating hepatitis B antigen and antibodies produced in repsonse to the virus.
Treatment involves long-term monitoring of the liver function, predominantly using blood tests. Antiviral medications are available to suppress the infection and curative approaches can be pursued for some patients.
Hepatitis B Prevention
At risk travellers are advised to be vaccinated against hepatitis B. Other preventive measures include practicing safe sex and avoiding the use of non-sterile personal items that may break the skin, like shaving razors. Caution should be exercised when contemplating the use of tattoo parlours or roadside barbers, as sterilisation practices are not always as thorough as they are in Australia.