Hepatitis B Vaccine Pediatric

Hepatitis B Vaccine Pediatric is meant to be given in the muscles of the thigh to infants younger than 1 year. In older children, it may be given in the muscle of the arm. Your child needs at least 3 doses of Hepatitis B Vaccine Pediatric to be fully protected against the hepatitis B virus. While the first shot can be given within 24 hours of birth, the second shot is given when the child turns 1 to 2 months old (after a minimum gap of 28 days) following the first shot. The final third shot is given between 6 to 18 months of age (at a minimum gap of 16 weeks after the first shot and at least 2 months after the second shot).

The vaccination helps stimulate the immune system and builds up high levels of protection against the hepatitis B virus in babies and young children. Therefore, all three doses are important for your child. Do not skip or miss out on any of the doses as that will render the protection ineffective and leave your child vulnerable to hepatitis infection. Hepatitis B Vaccine Pediatric is safe to be given as a stand-alone vaccine or along with other vaccines at the same time.

Make sure that the site of the injection is not the same again and again. This will help prevent injection site reaction and pain. Common cold, stomach upset, ear infection or any other minor illnesses should not prevent immunization. However, your doctor may suggest rescheduling the vaccination if your child has a more serious illness. Children who are moderately or severely ill should usually wait until they recover before taking the shots of Hepatitis B Vaccine Pediatric.

Hepatitis B Vaccine Pediatric can cause some minor and temporary short-term side effects. These may include fever, mild crankiness, loss of appetite, skin rash,  body pain, flushing, respiratory symptoms like runny nose, wheezing, or tightness in the throat. Your child may also experience some injection site problems like tenderness, soreness, redness, or swelling. However, these episodes are momentary and subside on their own. If worrisome, do seek your child’s doctor’s help.

Discuss the vaccine safety with your child’s doctor if your child ever developed a serious allergic reaction to any medicines or has a history of liver problems, kidney problems, blood disorders, birth defects, heart problems, or lung problems. This information is important for planning your child’s vaccination schedule.

Prevention of Hepatitis B infection

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Hepatitis B Vaccine Pediatric contains an inactive part of a virus. This virus cannot multiply in the body but can help initiate the body’s immune response to produce antibodies (proteins) to protect against hepatitis infections. In short, the vaccine generates an immune response without making your child sick.

Do not panic. If you miss a schedule of Hepatitis B Vaccine Pediatric, consult your child’s doctor and get your child vaccinated as soon as possible.

Hepatitis B Vaccine Pediatric is usually given as a series of three injections over 6 months. Neonates born to hepatitis B positive mothers might require a fourth dose.

A warm, damp cloth or a heating pad on the injection site may help reduce soreness.

Always consult your child’s doctor if your child is suffering from any kind of illness before getting your child vaccinated.

Booster doses are generally not recommended. However, booster shots may be given to people with compromised immunity. These shots help achieve the threshold antibody levels.

Hepatitis B is diagnosed with blood tests. For chronic cases, radiological testing, as well as a liver biopsy may be needed.

Q. Why should I vaccinate my child with Hepatitis B Vaccine Pediatric?

Hepatitis B attacks the liver and may lead to life-threatening complications which are difficult to treat in children. Newborns should be given their first hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of their birth. It is best to rely on vaccinations to help prevent such infections as Prevention is better than cure.

Q. If there is an interruption between doses of Hepatitis B Vaccine Pediatric, does the vaccine series need to be restarted?

No. The series does not need to be restarted. In case the vaccine series was interrupted after the first dose, the second dose should be administered as soon as possible. The second and third doses should be separated by an interval of at least 8 weeks. If just the third dose got delayed, it should be administered as soon as possible. Consult your child’s doctor in case of any confusion.

Q. Is there any booster dose required after the 3-dose primary series of Hepatitis B Vaccine Pediatric in children?

Yes, booster doses might be required. It is advised to check for antibody titer level in blood at timely spaced intervals. If the titer level is below the threshold value, a booster dose may be given to raise the levels above the threshold. It is frequently done in children who have kidney disease.

Q. My baby was born prematurely. Is Hepatitis B Vaccine Pediatric the safe choice