Is the hepatitis B vaccine safe?
The hepatitis B vaccine is safe and effective for everyone: newborns, adolescents and adults. Vaccine reactions are generally mild and don’t last long. The most common reactions include injection-site soreness, fever, redness and swelling at the injection site. As with any vaccine, serious reactions may sometimes occur.
The hepatitis B vaccine has few side effects. However, one side effect is serious. About one of every 600,000 doses of hepatitis B vaccine is complicated by a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. The symptoms of anaphylaxis are hives, difficulty breathing and a drop in blood pressure. Although no one has ever died because of the hepatitis B vaccine, the symptoms of anaphylaxis caused by the vaccine can be quite frightening. On the other hand, every year about 5,000 people die soon after being infected with hepatitis B virus. In addition, about 10,000 people every year suffer severe liver damage (called cirrhosis) or liver cancer caused by hepatitis B virus. Children are much more likely to develop these severe and often fatal consequences of hepatitis B virus infection if they get infected when they are very young. For this reason, the hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for newborns. Some parents wonder whether it is necessary to give the hepatitis B virus vaccine to newborns.
Yes, the hepatitis B vaccine is safe. Soreness at the injection site is the most common side effect reported. As with any medicine, there are very small risks that a serious problem could occur after getting the vaccine. However, the potential risks associated with hepatitis B are much greater than the risks the vaccine poses. Since the vaccine became available in 1982, more than 100 million people have received hepatitis B vaccine in the United States and no serious side effects have been reported.
Yes, the hepatitis B vaccine is very safe and effective. In fact, it is the first “anti-cancer vaccine” because it can protect you from hepatitis B, which is the cause of 80% of all liver cancer in the world. It only takes 3 shots to protect yourself and those you love against hepatitis B for a lifetime.
