Hepatitis B Vaccine For Children – Everything You Should Know About
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Did the pediatrician advise you to vaccinate your child for Hepatitis B? Are you worried about the side effects of Hepatitis B vaccine? Fret not! The hepatitis B vaccination offers immunity against the life-threatening condition of Hepatitis B in children.
To know more about Hepatitis B vaccine for children, consider reading the following post!
What Is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease induced due to the presence of Hepatitis B virus. Your child can contract the contagious infection from you and can suffer from acute health discomforts. The outcome of the infection can range from mild illness to serious health conditions, which may even lead to hospitalization.
Some children often suffer from chronic Hepatitis B and their conditions gets worse with growing ages and even lead to liver cancer (1).
[ Read: Types Of Hepatitis In Children ]
Symptoms Of Hepatitis B In Children:
Some of the health discomforts and symptoms experienced by small children with Hepatitis B include:
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dark-colored urine
- Stomach ache
- Muscle pain
- Tiredness (2)
[ Read: Loss Of Appetite In Children ]
Benefits Of Vaccinating Your Child With A Hepatitis B Shot:
The best way to protect and immunize your child from the contagious virus of hepatitis B is by getting him vaccinated for Hepatitis B. Doctors advise you get the prescribed dosage of Hepatitis B shots for your newborn child.
The benefits of getting Hepatitis B shot for children are:
- Protect your little angel from the contagious infection and life-threatening disease of Hepatitis B.
- Prevents the infection from passing to other children. Usually, children with Hepatitis B do not have the symptoms in the earlier stages and can infect others even about knowing about their health conditions.
- Protect your child from severe liver inflammation.
- The vaccine keeps your child energetic and boosts up his immunity power to fight against the disease-producing germs (3).
[ Read: Hepatitis A Vaccine For Children ]
Is The Hepatitis B Shot Safe For Your Child?
The hepatitis B shot is safe for your child. In fact, it prevents the disease of Hepatitis B. There are no serious hep b vaccine side effects in children and is given immediate after the birth of your child.
Side Effects Of Hepatitis B Vaccine For Children:
Most children do not experience any side effects from Hepatitis B vaccine. But there are exceptions, and some mild symptoms experienced by children include:
- Low fever (less than 101 degrees)
- Sore arm(at the point of shot)
[ Read: Common Childhood Diseases And Vaccines ]
Hepatitis B Vaccine Dose At Birth:
Most of the doctors prescribe early vaccination of your newborn baby from Hepatitis B shots. Though the shot can be a bit painful, but it can be a crucial step in protecting your baby from the deadly infection of Hepatitis B.
Babies should get the first shot of Hepatitis B vaccination before they leave the nursing home. The Hepatitis B shot is extremely safe for your newborn baby. It reduces the risk of getting the contagious germ from the infected mom or other family members. The immune power of your newborn baby is very low, and he can be at a greater risk of getting the infection. If you want to get rid of unavoidable circumstances, Hepatitis B vaccination at your child’s birth is the way ahead.
If the doctor diagnoses you with Hepatitis B, there is an additional shot of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG), which can protect your baby from getting the infection. The shot best suits when given to your baby within 12 hours of his birth. Moreover, your baby would also need to complete the full course of Hepatitis B vaccination to stay protected from the contagious infection.
Hope you liked our post on Hepatitis b vaccine for kids. Did you immunize your baby with Hepatitis B vaccination? Did your little angel suffer from any health discomforts? Share your story with other mommies here!
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