Vaccination Services of America, Inc - Health Screenings: Immunizations: Hepatitis B Shot

Hepatitis B is a serious disease that can cause short-term illness with symptoms of tiredness, loss of appetite, diarrhea and vomiting, jaundice (yellow skin or eyes), and pain in muscles, joints and the stomach. It can also cause long-term illness leading to liver damage (cirrhosis), liver cancer, and death. Hepatitis B vaccine is considered the first anti-cancer vaccine because it can prevent Hepatitis B, and therefore prevents a form of liver cancer. This immunization is recommended for most children and adolescents through age 18, and for at risk adults. It requires a series of 3 shots.

About 1.25 people in the U.S. have chronic Hepatitis B infection. It is estimated that 200,000 people become infected with Hepatitis B (mostly young adults), more than 11,000 have to be hospitalized because of it, and 4,000-5,000 die from it each year.