Hepatitis B Vaccination for people living with hepatitis C

• people at significant occupational risk (e.g. healthcare workers whose work involves frequent exposure to blood and body fluids); • people at risk of severe or complicated disease (e.g. people with pre-existing liver disease not related to hepatitis B and adults with weakened immune systems); and If the blood test shows that antibodies have not developed, it is highly recommended that they have another course of the vaccine.

Side effects of the hepatitis B vaccine are not common. However, a small number of people report pain at the injection site and/or a mild fever after the injections. If you have any more questions, please talk to your GP, nurse or specialist.

For more information on hepatitis B vaccination or any other issues related to hepatitis, please call the Hepatitis SA Helpline.

Hepatitis SA

Helpline

All images © r8r (www.flickr.com/photos/r8r)

A post-vaccination blood test, to assess if the vaccine course has been effective in producing protection against hepatitis B infection, is recommended for the following groups:

Hepatitis B Vaccination for people living with hepatitis C

Do you have questions about hepatitis B or C? Get free info and support:

1300 HEP ABC or 1300 437 222 9am–5pm, Mon-Fri

should i get vaccinated?

Do I have to pay?

Your doctor can get the hepatitis B vaccine free of charge for you if you have hepatitis C, are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background, if you inject drugs, or for a number of other reasons. Make sure to ask your doctor about the vaccine, as they need to apply specially for the free vaccine.

Hepatitis SA

Ph 1300 437 222 or (08) 8362 8443 Fax (08) 8362 8559 3 Hackney Rd Hackney SA 5069 PO Box 782 Kent Town SA 5071 www.hepsa.asn.au

www.hepatitissa.asn.au For more information on vaccination, please contact the Immunisation Section of SA Health on 8226 7177, or visit www.health.sa.gov.au/pehs/immunisation-index.htm.

Last update: September 2012 SA Health has contributed funds towards this Program.

What is hepatitis B?

Who else should consider vaccination?

Like hepatitis C, hepatitis B is a viral infection which attacks the liver. If symptoms of acute hepatitis B occur, they are similar to those of acute hepatitis C. About 200,000 Australians are living with hepatitis B. Approximately 95% of infected adults will recover from the acute infection and be immune in the future.

Most of the remaining 5% will not develop serious liver disease, but should be monitored by a knowledgeable doctor, with regular screening for liver cancer and liver cirrhosis.

The relatively few who have chronic hepatitis B can infect others. Hepatitis B becomes a chronic infection in 95% of young children who contract the virus.

Hepatitis B can be prevented with a safe and effective vaccine that has been available since 1982. In Australia, the hepatitis B vaccination program began in 1988, targeting groups at particularly high risk of infection. It continues today, and ensures that babies and adolescents have access to free hepatitis B vaccine.

Why be vaccinated?

There is no vaccine against hepatitis C. However, there are vaccines for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. If you are living with hepatitis C, or have some other form of chronic liver disease, it is highly recommended that you get vaccinated for hepatitis B—it is even suggested that you get the combined hepatitis A/hepatitis B vaccine, because contracting another form of hepatitis when you already have hepatitis C can make you much sicker than either virus would on its own. Having two viruses at once is known as co-infection. Different people will experience the effects of co-infection in different ways, but it can be very serious.

If you are properly vaccinated, it will protect you for life.

As well as individuals living with hepatitis C and/or chronic liver disease, the Australian Immunisation Handbook recommends that the following groups get the combined hepatitis A/B vaccine: • people who inject drugs;

• individuals adopting children from overseas; and • healthcare workers, dentists, embalmers, tattooists and bodypiercers.

Others at risk who might consider the vaccine include: • police, members of the armed services and emergency services staff; • long-term travellers to parts of the world with high rates of hepatitis B infection; • staff of child day-care centres; and • people playing contact sport.

• recipients of certain blood products; • residents and staff of facilities for persons with intellectual disabilities; • liver transplant recipients; and • inmates and staff from long-term correctional facilities.

It also recommends that the following groups be vaccinated against hepatitis B: • babies and young children; • adolescents aged between 10 and 13 years; • sexual contacts of people with acute and chronic hepatitis B; • household contacts of people with acute and chronic hepatitis B; • people on haemodialysis, individuals with HIV and other adults with weakened immune systems;

How is the vaccination done?

Babies receive hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth while they are in hospital and further doses at 2, 4 and 12 months of age.

Children in Year 7 or adolescents aged between 11 and 15 years, who did not receive the infant vaccine, receive a two-dose course of adult hepatitis B vaccine, given 4 to 6 months apart.

In order to obtain maximum protection against hepatitis B, adults should receive three doses of the vaccine at zero, 1 and 6 month intervals.