Hepatitis B vaccine can prevent hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is a liver condition that can result in a short-lived, mild illness or a severe, chronic condition. The hepatitis B vaccine is accessible to people of all ages. All newborns, all children or teenagers under the age of 19, all people aged 19 through 59, and all individuals 60 years of age or older with risk factors for hepatitis B infection should receive the hepatitis B vaccine. Adults 60 years of age and older who don’t have any known hepatitis B risk factors are also eligible to receive the hepatitis B vaccine.
- Short-term acute hepatitis B infection symptoms include fever, exhaustion, appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, jaundice (yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, clay-colored stools), and pain in the muscles, joints, and stomach.
- When the hepatitis B virus persists in a person’s body for an extended period of time, they develop chronic hepatitis B infection. The majority of persons who go on to develop chronic hepatitis B do not exhibit any symptoms, yet the condition is nonetheless very hazardous and can result in death, liver cancer, and liver damage (cirrhosis). Even though they do not themselves appear or feel ill, those who have a chronic infection can nevertheless transmit the hepatitis B virus to others.
- People who have hepatitis B in their sex relationships
- Persons who engage in sexual activity but are not in a committed, monogamous relationship
- People requesting a sexually transmitted illness evaluation or treatment
- Sexual assault or abuse victims
- Males who interact sexually with other men
- Individuals who share syringes, needles, or other drug-injection supplies
- Those who share a residence with a hepatitis B patient
- Workers in public safety and healthcare who are at danger of coming into contact with blood or bodily fluids
- Residents and employees of developmentally handicapped facilities
- People incarcerated or confined
- Travelers to areas where the hepatitis B virus is more prevalent
- People with HIV, hepatitis, chronic liver disease, and kidney disease who are on dialysis
- Births (spreads by the mother to the newborn child)
- Sexual relations with a hepatitis B carrier
- Sharing syringes, needles, or other tools for making drugs
- sharing products like toothbrushes, razors, or medical tools (such as glucose meters) with a hepatitis B patient.
- Direct contact with a hepatitis B carrier blood or open sores
- exposure to hepatitis B-infected blood through the use of needles or other sharp objects
