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Hepatitis A and B Vaccine: Why You Should Get These?

Hepatitis A and B Vaccine: Why You Should Get These?
April 10, 2024

What Is Hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A is a disease that is caused by the Hepatitis A virus. It affects your liver and can make you sick for several weeks to months. Children and adults- both might suffer from this liver-related disease, characterized by yellowing of skin, eyes, and nails along with vomiting and other digestion issues.

Hepatitis A and B are some of the deadliest diseases that occur to people from the highly contagious Hepatitis A and B viruses and can result in lethal health conditions. These diseases affect the liver and the digestive system immensely and leave the body, making it weak and disabling the entire immune system of the body. The Hepatitis A and B vaccines are thus shot to protect the human body from these severe health problems.

What Is Hepatitis A Vaccine?

The Vaccine for Hepatitis A helps to boost up your immune system and helps to make your body capable enough to fight any infection of the hepatitis A virus. There are several types of hepatitis A vaccines that are injected into the human body to provide complete protection against the harmful virus and do not contain any antigen. Some of the forms of Hepatitis A vaccines are as follows:

  • The Havrix and Vaqta vaccines: These vaccines are prescribed to be shot to a child who is at least 1 year old. Two shots of these vaccines are to be shot within the gap of 6 months.
  • Twinrix vaccine: It is another vaccine that is more effective than the previous one because it is a compilation of the hepatitis A and B vaccines that should be shot to people only when they are 18 years old. This vaccine requires three doses to be jabbed and given within 6 months.

At what age should one get the Hepatitis A Vaccine?

Doctors and health care experts always advise that the Hepatitis A vaccine can be given to all kids, those who are the ages between 12 months and 23 months.

If any baby is to travel abroad, then it is safe for the child to get a dose of the vaccine at the age of 6 to 11 months.

Who Should Take The Hepatitis A Vaccine?

Some people are very vulnerable to getting affected by the harmful Hepatitis A virus. They should take the vaccine as soon as possible. Those who are at a greater risk of getting infected by the virus are listed below:

  • Those who have unprotected sexual intercourse (usually a man with a man)
  • Those who profusely use illegal drugs
  • Those who have liver-related diseases, especially liver cirrhosis
  • People who have blood-clotting drugs, such as people with hemophilia
  • People who work with HIV-infected organisms
  • Those who travel abroad frequently
  • If someone is HIV positive
  • People who adopt children with Hepatitis A

Possible Side Effects of Hepatitis A Vaccine:

According to recent studies and experiments with extensive research, it has been found that the Hepatitis A vaccine is more or less safe to be injected with, but some adverse effects might occur after getting jabbed. Some such side effects of Hepatitis A can be listed here as follows:

  • Mild to severe headache and fever
  • Immense tiredness and dizziness
  • soreness at the area where the shot is given
  • loss of appetite
  • can be harmful to those who are pregnant

According to recent studies and research, it has been revealed that some can also feel some severe allergic reactions after getting immunized with the Hepatitis A vaccine and can also faint in serious conditions.

If you feel any such adversity after getting a shot of the Hepatitis A vaccine, get help from your health care expert immediately.

Precautions To Be Taken Before And After Getting Jabbed:

According to the studies and experiments conducted by doctors and health care experts it has been found that the risk factors after getting a shot of the Hepatitis A vaccine are minimum. But there are some precautions one might need to take before and after getting the vaccine.

Before getting a dose of the vaccine it is important to discuss with your health care expert and concerned physicians whether you can take the vaccine and you need to know whether you have a medical history that might prove to be adverse after taking the vaccine. After taking the vaccine, if you have any side effects, you should consult with your physician as soon as possible.

What Is Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is another deadly disease that is caused by the HBV or hepatitis B Virus. This virus is highly contagious and causes severe infections in your liver.

What Is Hepatitis B Vaccine?

The hepatitis B vaccine, also commercially known as the Recombivax HB vaccine is the antigen that is used to protect the human body from the highly contagious Hepatitis b virus and cause an infection in the human body. The Hepatitis B vaccine is jabbed in three doses- at an interval of one month for the second dose and six months for the third dose.

Who Should Get the Hepatitis B Vaccine?

Doctors and health care professionals always prescribe that the hepatitis B vaccine should be first given to newborns. It should also be given to teenagers aged 11 to 15 years or those who are younger than 19 years of age in two doses.

Hepatitis B vaccine side effects:

Though the Hepatitis B vaccine is considered completely safe and secure for human use, there are still some side effects that can result after getting immunized with the vaccine. Sometimes the side effects might range from mild to severe.

According to the opinions of several doctors and health care experts, the mild side effects of the Hepatitis B vaccine are listed here as follows:

  • extreme feeling of tiredness and fatigue
  • Occurrences of redness, swelling, or a feeling of irritability and itching at the location where the vaccine has been shot
  • Mild headache
  • a purple spot or lump at the injection site
  • a behavior of agitation is noticed particularly in children
  • sore throat
  • runny or stuffy nose
  • mild to a high fever that may range from 100ºF or higher
  • nausea

But sometimes, the side effects of this vaccine might become severe too. Some of the most severe side effects of the Hepatitis B vaccine are as follows:

  • severe pain in the back and joints
  • diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting
  • problems in eyesight along with swelling of the eyes
  • breathing problems, such as shortness of breath and swallowing issue
  • loss of appetite
  • loss of appetite
  • the feeling of itching and sense of irritation
  • soreness, tingling, or numbness of hands and legs
  • unusual loss of weight
  • feeling dizzy, tired, and exhausted
  • either unusual sleepiness or sleep deprivation
  • profuse sweating
  • confusion
  • constipation
  • faintness or lightheadedness hives or welts that occur days or weeks after receiving the vaccine
  • reddening of the skin, especially on the ears, face, neck, or arms
  • seizure-like movements
  • stiffness or pain in the neck or shoulder
  • stomach cramps or pain

How and When Do Doctors Give Vaccines?

For the hepatitis A vaccine:

The hepatitis A vaccine consists of a dead or inactive virus that is shot twice at an interval of six months. These doses of vaccines are mainly given to young kids who are in the age groups of 12 and 23 months. Children who are in the age group of two years or more should get their doses previously. If they have missed their doses, they should contact their concerned health care expert for further help and support.

For the hepatitis B vaccine:

This vaccine is mainly given to newborn babies and young teens in three to four doses of injection shots to protect them from the infection of the Hepatitis B virus. The first dose should be given some time after the child is born, the second dose is to be given after the baby is 1 month old, and the final dose of the vaccine should have vanished within 6 months from the date of the first jab. Those babies that are born to mothers who already had Hepatitis B need a jab of the Hepatitis B antibody along with the vaccine during their birth to keep them protected from the disease. Adults must seek the advice of a health care expert if they want to get a dose of the Hepatitis A or B vaccines.

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