What is Hepatitis B?

years of age old who have not been vaccinated
People whose sex partners have hepatitis B
Sexually active persons not in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship
Persons seeking evaluation or treatment for a sexually transmitted disease
Men who have sexual contact with other men
People who share needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment
People with close household contact with someone infected with hepatitis B
Healthcare and public safety workers at risk for exposure to blood or blood-contaminated body fluids on the job
People with end-stage renal disease, including predialysis, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and home dialysis patients
Residents and staff of facilities for developmentally disabled persons
Travelers to regions with moderate or high rates of hepatitis B
People with chronic liver disease
People with HIV infection
Anyone who wishes to be protected from hepatitis B virus infection

In order to reach individuals at risk for hepatitis B, vaccination is also recommended for anyone in or seeking treatment from the following:

Sexually transmitted disease treatment facilities
HIV testing and treatment facilities
Facilities providing drug-abuse treatment and prevention services
Healthcare settings targeting services to injection drug users
Healthcare settings targeting services to men who have sex with men
Chronic hemodialysis facilities and end-stage renal disease programs
Correctional facilities
Institutions & nonresidential day care facilities for the developmentally disabled

When should someone get the Hepatitis B vaccine?

The hepatitis B vaccine for Children and Adolescents: All children should get their first dose of hepatitis B vaccine at birth and complete the vaccine series by 6-18 months of age. All children and adolescents younger than 19 years of age who have not yet gotten the vaccine should also be vaccinated. “Catch-up” vaccination is recommended for children and adolescents who were never vaccinated or who did not get the entire vaccine series.

The hepatitis B vaccine for Adults: Any adult who is at risk for hepatitis B virus infection or who wants to be vaccinated should talk to a health professional about getting the vaccine series.

While we recommend everyone get vaccinated for Hepatitis B after testing negative, at this time we can only offer the Hepatitis B Test and not the vaccine. Get tested today!

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