Immunizations
Hepatitis B is caused by a virus that attacks the liver. The virus is spread through blood and bodily fluids.
- 80,000 people in the U.S. are infected each year
- 11,000 people are hospitalized every year due to Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis B is 100 times more contagious than HIV!
- The Hepatitis B virus can survive outside of the body for 7 days and still transmit the infection
- 1 in 20 Americans will contract Hepatitis B in their lifetime
- healthcare workers and others whose job may involve contact with blood and other bodily fluids
- employees and patients in homes for developmental disabilities
- individuals who travel to areas where Hepatitis B is common (http://www.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/maps/hbv.map.htm)
The Bloodborne Pathogen Standard states that all employees who could reasonably anticipate contact with infectious materials receive the Hepatitis B vaccine. Those who choose not to be vaccinated must sign a declination statement from OSHA. Those who have never been vaccinated against Hepatitis B must receive 3 doses within a 6 month period. Individuals who have received their initial series may receive a booster every 5-7 years. An inactive form of the Hepatitis B virus is used to create the vaccine. Common side effects include: soreness at the injection site and low-grade fever.
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ALLERGIC TO BAKER'S YEAST MAY NOT RECEIVE A HEPATITIS B VACCINE!!
The CDC releases a vaccine information statement each year that contains important information about the virus and vaccine.
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/VIS/vis-hep-b.pdf
Hepatitis B fact sheet from the CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/fact.htm
Questions and answers about Hepatitis B from the CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/faqb.htm
Information on bloodborne pathogen standards from OSHA
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/index.html#revised_standard
