April 2007
Hepatitis B vaccine
When should my child not get hepatitis B vaccine? Your child should not get hepatitis B vaccine if she has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to:
When should my child wait to get hepatitis B vaccine? If your child is moderately or severely ill at the time the shot is scheduled, she should usually wait until she is well
before getting hepatitis B vaccine. Check with your child's doctor to see whether she should wait.
Tell your child's doctor if the child has any of the following conditions. The doctor may recommend that the child wait or not receive hepatitis B vaccine. Ask your doctor for more information if your child:
What are the side effects from hepatitis B vaccine and what should I do if they occur? A vaccine, like any medication, may cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. The risk of hepatitis B vaccine
causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small. Getting hepatitis B vaccine is much safer than getting hepatitis B disease.
Most people who get hepatitis B vaccine do not have any problems with it. Hepatitis B vaccine can cause other side effects.
Call your child's doctor if she has any unusual problems after receiving this vaccine.
- A previous dose of hepatitis B vaccine
- Yeast (the kind used for baking)
- Latex (dry, natural rubber)
Tell your child's doctor if the child has any of the following conditions. The doctor may recommend that the child wait or not receive hepatitis B vaccine. Ask your doctor for more information if your child:
- Has or has had heart or lung disease
- Is being treated with medications that affect the immune system, such as steroids, for two weeks or longer
- Has HIV/AIDS or another disease that affects the immune system
- Has any type of cancer
- Has a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia or low platelet count
- Has had a reaction to any vaccine
| Side Effects (Mild) | What should I do? |
|---|---|
| Soreness, firmness, redness, swelling, itching, and/or warmth where the shot was given, lasting 1-2 days | Apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth over the sore area. Give acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) for pain, as directed by your child's doctor. Call the doctor if the symptoms get worse or do not go away |
| Fever | Give acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) as directed by your child’s doctor |
| Tiredness, weakness, or irritability | Call your child’s doctor if the symptoms get worse or do not go away |
| Nausea or decrease in appetite | Call your child’s doctor if the symptoms get worse or do not go away |
| Headache | Give acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) as directed by your child’s doctor |
| Side Effects (Moderate or Severe) | What should I do? |
| Unusual changes in behavior | Call your child’s doctor |
| Muscle or joint aches | Call your child’s doctor |
| Serious allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; hoarseness or wheezing; hives; rash; itching; swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, or feet; tingling; paleness; flushing; weakness; fast heartbeat; chest discomfort; dizziness; or blisters on the skin within a few minutes to a few hours after receiving the shot) | Get emergency medical care for your child right away |
| High fever | Call your child’s doctor right away |
