Hepatitis B Vaccine
WHO recommends administration of the hepatitis B vaccine for the prevention of hepatitis B.
The hepatitis B vaccine is available for all age groups. It can be given in either three or four separate doses, as part of routine immunization schedules.
The vaccination schedule which is often used involves administering three intramuscular injections, the second and third administered 1 and 6 months after the first.
In cases where mother-to-infant spread of hepatitis B virus is a possibility, the first dose of the vaccine should be given within 24 hours after birth.
The protection obtained from the hepatitis B vaccine lasts at least 20 years and is possibly for lifetime.
