Hepatitis B vaccine is a vaccine that prevents hepatitis B, with the first dose recommended within 24 hours of birth followed by two or three more doses, resulting in more than 95 percent protection among healthy people who complete routine immunization. It is produced using recombinant DNA techniques and contains an immunologic adjuvant, and is available both by itself and in combination with other vaccines. The first hepatitis B vaccine, Merck's Heptavax-B, was approved in the United States in 1981, followed by a recombinant version, Recombivax-HB, in 1986; both were developed by Maurice Hilleman and his team. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.
Facts
FAQs
Why is the hepatitis B vaccine given to babies so soon after birth?
Infection in infancy usually becomes chronic, so the World Health Organization recommends a first dose within 24 hours of birth.
The World Health Organization explains that the hepatitis B virus is most commonly passed from mother to child during birth and delivery, and that an infection acquired in infancy or early childhood becomes chronic in about 95 percent of cases, compared with less than 5 percent of infections acquired in adulthood. Because a chronic infection carries a high risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer, the organization recommends that all babies receive the vaccine as soon as possible after birth, within 24 hours, followed by two or three further doses at least four weeks apart.
Connections
Treats
Source Wikipedia: Hepatitis B Vaccine Online Reference Encyclopedia Article
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
2. Wikipedia: Hepatitis B Vaccine Online Reference Encyclopedia Article
WikipediaLead section
The first hepatitis B vaccine (Merck's Heptavax-B) was approved in the United States in 1981.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatitis_B_vaccine, lead section
Hepatitis B vaccine is a vaccine that prevents hepatitis B.
Treats: Hepatitis, Lead
Hepatitis B vaccine is a vaccine that prevents hepatitis B.
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