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Hepatitis B Vaccine
Vaccine Information Sheets

Indications:

• Adolescents.
  • High-risk persons, household contacts and sex partners of HBsAg-positive persons; injecting drug users;

• Heterosexuals with more than one sex partner in 6 months; 

• Men who have sex with men; 

• Persons with recently diagnosed STDs; 

• Patients receiving hemodialysis and patients with renal disease that may result in dialysis; 

• Recipients of certain blood products

• Healthcare workers and public safety workers who are exposed to body fluids and blood.

•  Staff and residents of institutions for the developmentally disabled; prison inmates; 

• People traveling to certain locatins

•  Persons with chronic liver disease.

• Immigrants from endemic areas. Give the first dose of vaccine at the same visit after screening for disease. If susceptible, finish series. 

When to administer:

Three doses are needed on a 0, 1, 6m schedule.
• Alternative timing options for vaccination include 0, 2, 4m and 0, 1, 4m.
• There must be 4wks between doses #1 and #2, and 8wks between doses #2 and #3. There must be at least 16wks between doses #1 and #3.
• Schedule for those who have fallen behind: If the series is delayed between doses, DO NOT start the series over. Continue from where you left off.

For Twinrix™ (hepatitis A and B combination vaccine [GSK]), three doses are needed on a 0, 1, 6m schedule. Recipients must be age 18yrs or older.

Contraindications:

Previous anaphylactic reaction to this vaccine or to any of its components.
Precaution
Moderate or severe acute illness.
Note: Pregnancy and breastfeeding are not contraindications to the use of this vaccine.

(Information current of July 2006, check with your physician for any updates)