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Purpose of the Maryland Perinatal Hepatitis
B Program
- Ensure that all pregnant women are screened
for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) during every pregnancy
- Ensure that infants of HBsAg positive mothers are given
the hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis immune globulin
HBIG
at birth, preferably within 12 hours of birth.
- Ensure that these babies receive two additional doses
of hepatitis B vaccine at one month of age and six months
of age, and a post-vaccination blood test
- Remind mothers and doctors that these infants of mothers
who are hepatitis B infected must have a post-vaccination
blood test at 9 –15 months of age to ensure that
the infant does have immunity to hepatitis B infection
from receiving the three doses of vaccine.
- Inform all household and sexual contacts of the hepatitis
B infected woman that they should be blood tested for
hepatitis B virus, and, if needed, receive three doses
of hepatitis B vaccine.
 DHMH
Plan for Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention (PDF)
What is Perinatal Hepatitis
B?
Every Newborn Should Get Hepatitis B Vaccine Before Going
Home
What To Do If You Are Exposed to Hepatitis
B Infection
People who have hepatitis B virus in their blood
can spread the infection to other people through blood and
other body fluids. If you are the sex and/or household contact
of a pregnant woman who is HBsAg-positive, contact your health
care practitioner or local health jurisdiction for testing.
If you do not have immunity to hepatitis B infection, either
from having had three doses of vaccine or from having fully
recovered from hepatitis B infection, you should receive three
doses of hepatitis B vaccine now.
"Give
the Birth Dose! Providing all infants with hepatitis B vaccine
saves lives."
An open letter from Immunization Action Coalition
urging the following organizations to support the birth dose:
ACIP, AAP, ACOG, NMA, National Asian Pacific Islander Task
Force on Hepatitis B Prevention, AHA
Author: Deborah L. Wexler, MD, Executive Director
Source: Immunization Action Coalition.
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