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发表于 2003-8-16 06:22
The hepatitis B vaccine
Why does my baby need the hepatitis B vaccine?
The hepatitis B vaccine protects your child against the hepatitis B virus, which can lead to liver damage and even death. Hepatitis B is generally considered to be an adult disease because it''''s known to be transmitted through unsafe sex and shared needles. But up to 40 percent of those who get it, including children, don''''t engage in these "high-risk" behaviors and experts don''''t know how they got infected. Before the vaccine was introduced in the United States just a few years ago, there were about 25,000 cases a year in children younger than 5 years of age, and only 6,000 of them got it from their mother at birth.
Hepatitis B is highly infectious. About 1.25 million people in the United States currently have the virus. Many of them never feel sick and don''''t know they have it, but those who become infected as children are more likely to have long-term health problems, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. There is no cure. Each year in the United States, about 300,000 people, mostly young adults, get infected with hepatitis B virus; more than 11,000 are hospitalized, and 4,000 to 5,000 people die.
When should my child get the hepatitis B vaccine?
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommend that all babies born in the United States receive their first hepatitis B vaccine shot at birth. If you''''re sure that everyone in your household and anyone who might be taking care of your child has recently tested negative for hepatitis B, there''''s probably little risk in waiting until your child is 1 to 2 months old for the first dose if you prefer. She''''ll get her second dose between 1 and 4 months of age (but at least one month after the first dose), and a third dose between 6 and 18 months of age. You can use BabyCenter''''s Immunization Scheduler to keep track.
If you happen to be infected with hepatitis B — you would have been screened during your pregnancy — your baby must get her first dose at birth, her second dose at 1 to 2 months (at least one month after the first dose) and her third at 6 months.
Who shouldn''''t get the hepatitis B vaccine?
If your child has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to a previous dose of hepatitis B vaccine, she shouldn''''t receive another dose. And if for some reason your baby didn''''t get her hepatitis B shots as a baby, and you know that she''''s had a life-threatening allergic reaction to baker''''s yeast (the kind used in baking bread), she shouldn''''t receive the hepatitis B vaccine because it''''s made with this type of yeast.
If your child is moderately to severely ill, wait until she recovers before taking her in for the hepatitis B vaccine.
What are the possible side effects or risks of an adverse reaction?
About 3 percent of children develop pain and tenderness at the site of the shot, and 1 percent have a low-grade fever. An estimated one in 600,000 children will have a serious allergic reaction involving swelling of the mouth, breathing difficulties, low blood pressure, and shock. If your child has any of these symptoms (you''''ll know within a few hours), call 911 or take her to an emergency room. These symptoms may be frightening, but no one has ever died from an allergic reaction to the hepatitis B vaccine.
In spite of persistent rumors, there is as yet no evidence linking the hepatitis B vaccine to hair loss, SIDS, or autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis. Several studies are currently underway to determine any possible association.
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