Hepatitis B Vaccine
               

Why get vaccinated?

Hepatitis B is a serious disease. The hepatitis B virus can cause short-term (acute) illness that leads to:

• loss of appetite
• tiredness
• pain in muscles, joints, and stomach
• diarrhea and vomiting
• jaundice (yellow skin or eyes)
  

It can also cause long-term (chronic) illness that leads to:

• liver damage (cirrhosis)
• liver cancer
• death

About 1.25 million people in the U.S. have chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Hepatitis B vaccine can prevent hepatitis B. It is the first anti-cancer vaccine because it can prevent a form of liver cancer.

How is hepatitis B virus spread?

Hepatitis B virus is spread through contact with the blood and body fluids of an infected person. A person can get infected in several ways, such as:

• by having sex with an infected person
• during birth when the virus passes from an infected mother to her baby
• by injecting illegal drugs
• by being stuck with a used needle on the job
• by sharing personal items, such as a razor or toothbrush with an infected person.

People can get hepatitis B virus infection without knowing how they got it. About 1/3 of hepatitis B cases in the U.S. have an unknown source.