giving birth with active hep B

[gravitate]

my wife has active hepatitis B and gives birth in September. I am in Hong Kong and they doent seem to understand the injections that the baby needs. what is it I must ensure they administer to the baby after it is born? doseage and medical names would be appreciated as I am going to the hospital to check they have this ready to administer. if not its back to the uk I do not want to take any risks.
thanks

[lizerlyn]

I had active hepatitis B when I gave birth to my daughter 4 years ago. The doctor gave her two shots within 24 hours after delivery, one is the first shot of hep B vaccine and the other is hep B immune globulin (the info you can refer to: http://www.hepb.org/patients/pregnant_women.htm )
The second and the third hep B vaccines were given within 6 months after. When she was 9 months, her blood test result showed that her anti-HBs (immune system for hep B) positive, HBs negative, up until now. Regular check is done to know the right time to have a booster.

[Sharp7]

I find it strange that the docs in Hong Kong that you have spoken to are not aware of the protocol for handling cases such as yours. Are you (and your wife) in touch with your gastroenterologist about this?

I had read about HepB vaccines over a year ago, so my memory may be faulty. As far as I remember, there are various kinds of HepB vaccines - some more effective on adults, and some others more effective on kids. If you can get a prescription from your doc (I don't mean the ignorant one) you can get the storage recommendations from its product info available on the web.

[zellyf]

Ah, I see, cajim is saying that the shortage is US only.

[zellyf]

I take that back (I really wish we could edit our posts).  This report is more recent, May 2009:

"Supplies of pediatric hepatitis B vaccines are expected to remain tight through the summer, but CDC officials said in a May 5 status update letter ( that supplies will be sufficient through the end of the year, "if providers continue to order vaccine judiciously."

Merck and GlaxoSmithKline, or GSK, have been experiencing hepatitis B vaccine supply issues since February. The CDC responded by releasing doses of each manufacturer's monovalent pediatric hepatitis B vaccine from its vaccine stockpiles."

Here's a link to the article:

http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/clinical-care-research/20090519hep-b-vacc.html

[zellyf]

Merck actually did announce a shortage.  But here's a snippet from the report:

"Equipment upgrades at Merck's West Point, PA-based vaccine plant will cause shortages of its hepatitis B vaccine Recombivax HB for adults. The company said that pediatric doses would not be effected. In the meantime, Merck's rival GSK will produce more of its own hepatitis jab to make up for Merck's cutbacks. The company did not indicate when vaccine production would return to its normal levels, though a spokesperson did say the upgrades would be completed "in a timely manner."..."

So, looks like its just the adult dosages.

[cajim]

Which country are you in?  In most countries there is no shortage of Hep B vaccine at all.

[zellyf]

I don't.  I know the Hep A vaccine needs to be refrigerated and keeps for about a year. Ask a pharmacist, they would definitely know.

[gravitate]

ok this is fantastic information. Do you know what the storage of these 2 medicines are as I may be able to esure I buy them and keep them at my house. I dont want to take any risks at all you see... plus I need to know about the doseage. Is the hep b vaccine the same as an adults?
thanks for the quick replies :)

[cajim]

If a pregnant woman has hepatitis B, she can pass the infection to her baby during birth. But this can be prevented through a series of vaccinations and HBIG for her baby beginning at birth.

[zellyf]

The baby needs to receive at a minimum the 1st Hep B vaccination.  The Hep B vaccination is a 3-shot series given at birth, 3 months and 6 months.  It should be administered within 12 hours of birth.  

If possible, the baby should also receive a dose of  Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin (HBIG) at the same time.  This isn't available everywhere, however.  Not to worry, the vaccine alone seems to do a pretty good job.

Try to secure these shots before the delivery...I know there is a shortage of Hep B vaccine right now.  Make sure the hospital is actually in possession of some.  Best wishes and congratulations!