What Are The Benefits Of Early Hepatitis B Immunization Programs For Newborns And Infants?

Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus, or HBV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, states there were an estimated 43,000 new HBV infections in the U.S. in 2007. The best way to prevent hepatitis B is to be vaccinated against the virus. The CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommend all infants receive the hepatitis B vaccine series.

Protection from Acute Hepatitis B

Many infants and young children who are infected with HBV do not develop a clinical illness, but there is a definite risk your baby could become ill if infected. The symptoms of acute--short-term--hepatitis B include loss of appetite, lack of energy, nausea, vomiting, muscle and joint pain, abdominal pain and skin rash, according to the CDC. Although it is rare, acute hepatitis B can be fatal. Early vaccination eliminates this risk from your child's life as quickly as possible.

Protection from Chronic Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B can become a chronic disease. Infants and young children are especially vulnerable to developing chronic hepatitis if infected with HBV. The CDC reports that roughly 90 percent of infected infants will develop chronic infection compared to only 6 to 10 percent of people infected after age 5. Vaccinating your baby against HBV early protects him from a potentially lifelong illness.

Protection before Adolescence

HBV is spread by intimate contact with the blood or body fluids from someone who has the virus. Sexual contact accounts for nearly two-thirds of acute hepatitis B cases. Sharing drug injection equipment and personal hygiene items such as toothbrushes and razors with an infected person are other common ways to contract HBV. Adolescence is notoriously a time for exploration---and not always the best judgment. Completing the hepatitis B vaccine series well in advance of adolescence helps ensure that your child is protected from HBV should her judgment be tested.

Protection from Cirrhosis and Liver Cancer

Chronic hepatitis B can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. CDC reported in 2005 that 25 percent of people with chronic hepatitis B who were infected as infants or young children die prematurely of cirrhosis or liver cancer. Successful completion of the hepatitis B vaccine series eliminates the risk of HBV-related cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Community Protection from Hepatitis B

A community's vulnerability to an infectious disease such as hepatitis B is related to the proportion of people within the population who have immunity to the virus. Therefore, when your child gains immunity to hepatitis B, not only is he safer, the unvaccinated people in the larger community in which you live are safer.