Hep B Blog

The 3-Shot Hepatitis B Vaccine – Do I Need to Restart the Series if I Am Off the Recommended Schedule?

The Hepatitis B vaccine is a safe and effective 3-shot series that protects against the hepatitis B virus.  If you do not have a current hepatitis B infection, or have not recovered from a past infection, then hepatitis B vaccination is an important way to protect yourself. The recommended schedule for the hepatitis B vaccine is to receive the first shot, followed in one month by the second shot.  Six months following the first shot, you should receive your third and final shot of the series.

If you wish to ensure you have generated adequate immunity, and are protected, you can have your anti-HBs (HBsAb) titres checked 4-8 weeks following the last shot of the hepatitis B vaccine series.  If your titer is greater than 10 mIU/mL, then you have adequate immunity which is thought to confer lifetime immunity, but studies so far show 30 years.  This is because these studies are on-going!

Please note that checking anti-HBs titres is not generally recommended for all vaccine recipients, with the exception of those that are at greater risk of infection.   This includes but is not limited to health care workers, those with sexual partners with hepatitis B, and those living in a household where someone is infected. Talk to your doctor if you think you might be at higher risk and need to have your titres checked.

So what happens if you go for shot one, followed by shot two in a month, but you never get to shot three?  The minimum length of time between the three shots in the series is 0, 1 month, and 6 months.  This is the schedule recommended for the shortest amount of time, with the best immune response for the general population.  However, if you don’t get to shot three of the series for another two years, or if you never got to shot two, you can resume right from where you left off, and continue without the need for repeating the series. Just remember that you are not fully protected until you have completed the series.

Here is a rule to remember the minimum time in between shots in the series:

Dose 2 should be separated by dose 1 by at least one month (4 weeks or 28 days)

Dose 3 should be separated by dose 2 by at least 2 months (8 weeks) AND from dose 1 by at least 4 months (16 weeks).

Keep in mind that the goal is to get people protected in the shortest amount of time, with the fewest number of doses. If you do not complete the series, you will not have adequate, longterm protection from hepatitis B.

What happens if you don’t have your vaccine records, and you have no idea if you ever got shot 1 or 2, and you just want to repeat the series? There is no concern with repeating the HBV vaccine series, so if you are unsure, please start the series from shot 1.

What about an accelerated schedule? Generally doctors advise against an accelerated schedule since it requires a 4th dose in order to provide long term protection. It’s hard enough to get people to adhere to the 3-shot schedule. Planning for a 4th dose in a year is a challenge.

What happens if you are pregnant; is it safe to get vaccinated? Absolutely yes!

What do you do while you’re waiting to complete the series? Be sure to take basic precautions avoiding direct contact with infected blood and practice safe sex.

Be sure you and your loved ones vaccinated are against hepatitis B so you can be hepatitis B free for life!

Hepatitis B Foundation Mini-Grantees 2016

At the Hepatitis B Foundation, we have many research and programs throughout the year. With the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), we co-founded and co-chair Hep B United, a national coalition dedicated to reducing the health disparities associated with hepatitis B by increasing awareness, screening, vaccination, and linkage to care for high-risk communities across the United States. The coalition works to reduce the impact of hepatitis B through prevention and education efforts, addressing perinatal transmission, improving screening and linkage to care, contributing to national surveillance data, and advocating on a national level.

Last year, the Hepatitis B Foundation offered mini-grants for one year to Hep B United coalition partners working on hepatitis B education, screening and linkage to care activities. These grants ranged between $5,000 to $10,000 each. The mini-grants were offered to enhance the capacity of Hep B United coalition partners to conduct HBV education, testing and linkage to care in their local Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AA & NHPI) communities to advance the hepatitis B priority areas of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan (VHAP).

Courtesy of CPACS

The 2016-17 project year offered grants to 9 coalition partners, which included Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc (CPACS), Hepatitis B Initiative-Minnesota (HBI-MN), Midwest Asian Health Association (MAHA), Hepatitis B Initiative-DC (HBI-DC), Asian Services in Action (ASIA), Asian American Community Services (AACS), Asian Pacific Health Foundation (APHF), and HOPE Clinic. Together, Hep B United coalition partners screened 4,649 people, educated and reached out to 11,884 people, and distributed 13,112 handouts. Some coalition partners were featured in  newspapers, on TV with 496,189 views, and in a social media video. Mini-grantees also participated in activities such as developing key partnerships in local communities, providing linkage to care, and conducting provider training. One coalition partner also screened the “Be About It” documentary.

For 2017-2018 mini-grants, six Hep B United coalition partners (listed below) were recently awarded mini-grants. We are excited to kick off these projects and look forward to their future endeavors and results.

·     Asian American Community Services (Columbus, OH) -AACS’ Live Healthy – Hep Free project will use the H+EAL model to increase HBV education and awareness and encourage testing by targeting high school students and their parents.

·       Asian Pacific Community in Action (Phoenix, AZ) – APCA will be organizing community town hall events in collaboration with the #justB campaign across Maricopa County to collect and share stories that promote increased awareness and proactive approaches to treatment for hepatitis B.

·       Asian Pacific Health Foundation (San Diego, CA) – APHF will be working to increase community knowledge and awareness of hepatitis B, determine gaps in knowledge, develop in-language education materials, and provide hepatitis B screening within high-risk communities throughout San Diego.

·       Asian Services in Action (Cleveland, OH) – ASIA will be using community health outreach workers to increase HBV education and screening, including outreach to AAPI businesses in Akron and Cleveland, OH.

·       Center for Pan Asian Community Services (Atlanta, GA) – CPACS’ project focuses on expanding their Atlanta-based hepatitis B coalition, increasing the number of Georgia AAPI community members who know their HBV status through community and provider education, and improving testing and linkage to care services throughout the city.

·       Philadelphia Department of Public Health (Philadelphia, PA) -The Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program auxiliary project will create new education modules for prenatal and pediatric care and conduct on-site provider education sessions to improve knowledge and care for infected mothers.

The 2017-18 project period expanded its priorities to address perinatal transmission and education through storytelling efforts with the #JustB Storytelling Campaign in addition to screenings and linkage to care.   The overall success of the Hep B United mini-grants has been proven through the significant number of high-risk populations educated, screened and linked into appropriate care for hepatitis B.   We look forward to updating you further in the coming months as we continue to highlight the national work of the Hepatitis B Foundation and Hep B United partners around the U.S.

October is Liver Cancer Awareness Month! What’s the Hep B Connection?

Liver Cancer Ribbon

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), liver cancer is the second most common cancer in the world, leading to 788,000 annual deaths worldwide. Most liver cancer cases occur in developing countries. More than 80 percent of these cancers are found in sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Asia where more than 20 of every 100,000 people will suffer and die from liver cancer. However, liver cancer is alarmingly on the rise in developed countries, as well. In a recent study, researchers from The American Cancer Society found that liver cancer is the fastest-growing cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Only 20 percent of people diagnosed with liver cancer survive beyond five years, and the number of deaths have doubled since the mid-1980s, and they are expected to continue to rise.

Why is liver cancer growing in most of the world? There are many risk factors for liver cancer, but chronic hepatitis B accounts for up to 60% of liver cancer and is the most common risk factor for this type of cancer. People who are chronically infected with hepatitis B are 100 times more likely to develop liver cancer compared to those who are not. The hepatitis B virus attacks the liver directly and repeatedly over time. This can lead to liver damage and scarring of the liver (or cirrhosis); which greatly increases the risk of liver cancer.

Sometimes, people with hepatitis B can develop liver cancer even when they do not have cirrhosis. There are a number of complicating factors which can  increase the risk of liver cancer including traits specific to the virus and the person and their health status, which should be discussed with a liver specialist to determine when you should initiate screening.

How many years have you had hepatitis B? The longer you’re infected, the higher your risk of liver cancer.

What is your gender? Men are considered at higher risk of liver cancer and may be screened starting at an earlier age because they may be more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, have more “active” hepatitis, and higher iron stores—all of which increase cancer risk. Estrogen is believed to protect pre-menopausal women against liver cancer.

Have you had a high viral load (HBV DNA) after age 30? Having a viral load exceeding 2,000 international units per milliliter (IU/mL) is associated with a higher risk of liver cancer even if you have no other signs of liver damage.

Do you have a family history of liver cancer? If an immediate family member has had liver cancer, this greatly increases your risk.

Are you overweight, or have you been diagnosed recently with type 2 diabetes? A fatty liver and/or diabetes increase your risk of liver damage and cancer dramatically when you’re also infected with hepatitis B.

Do you have hepatitis B virus genotype C or core/precore viral mutations? Originating in Asia, this hepatitis B strain is associated with loss of the hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) later in life. That means you may have had a high viral load and liver damage for a longer period than people with genotypes who clear HBeAg at a younger age. Having core or precore mutations in your HBV also increase liver cancer risk.

If you are living with chronic hepatitis B and are concerned about liver cancer, there are steps you can take. Working with a good health care provider to manage your hepatitis B is important, as is having a healthy lifestyle. Talk to you doctor about your risk, and about getting screened for liver cancer at least annually – early detection saves lives!

To commemorate Liver Cancer Awareness Month this October, help us spread the word about the link between hepatitis B and liver cancer! You can also join our Twitter Chat on Thursday, October 12th at 2:00pm – along with our partners CDC Division of Viral Hepatitis, and the National Alliance of State and Territorial Aids Directors (NASTAD). To join the chat, use the hashtag #liverchat. For more information, visit our blog post.

Remember to talk to your doctor about the risk factors for liver cancer, and if you have hepatitis B, ask to get screened for liver cancer. For more information about liver cancer visit the Liver Cancer Connect website.

Who is Ted Slavin? #virusappreciationday

“We will long remember Ted Slavin as a gallant man who loved life and who contributed greatly to our research efforts”

-Baruch S. Blumberg, Irving Millman, W. Thomas London, and other members of the Division of Clinical Research Fox Chase Cancer Center, 19851

Baruch S. Blumberg

“Who is Ted Slavin? Why haven’t I heard about him before?” crept into my mind as I was reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Rebecca Skloot wrote a short snippet about Ted Slavin, detailing the story of a hemophiliac who sold his antibodies and aided Dr. Baruch Blumberg in the discovery of the link between the hepatitis B virus and liver cancer, which eventually led to the first hepatitis B vaccine.2 I was surprised that I had never heard of him, and that his name was not enshrined on the walls of the Hepatitis B Foundation. I see the smiling and jovial face of Dr. Blumberg nearly every time I walk into the office, but never the image of a man who contributed so much to his efforts.

Blood Serum

Ted Slavin developed antibodies against hepatitis B after receiving infected blood transfusions to treat his hemophilia. The blood he received back in the 1950s was not screened for any diseases. His doctor helped him realize that his blood was valuable because of the copious amounts of antibodies for hepatitis B. At the time, those antibodies were a hot commodity as scientists were conducting research to learn more about hepatitis B prevention and treatment. Slavin decided to the sell his antibody-rich blood and even donated his blood to Dr. Blumberg’s research team at Fox Chase Cancer Center. He later formed Essential Biologicals, a company that collected blood from others like him. They were everyday patients who could turn their rare or unique blood into money making products, while at the same time advancing important research into diseases that were not well understood.2

As I read the brief overview of Slavin’s life, I initially perceived him as someone who was both lucky and smart: Slavin was lucky because his doctor gave him information on the value of his antibodies2; and smart because he knew how to make the best of something once considered a burden in his life.3 As I did a little more detective work, I realized Ted Slavin was not just a guy who made money off his cells, but someone who contributed to the fight against the hepatitis B virus, which I am passionate about!

My detective work led me to a deeper understanding of Mr. Slavin and his contribution to important milestones on the road to hepatitis B elimination.3,4,5,6,7 I found discussions and case studies on the ethics associated with his circumstance. Through my research journey, I learned more about him and my perception of Slavin started to change. He was, like many, struggling to make ends meet. He didn’t entirely profit off his antibodies because he donated a majority of the money he made to advance scientific research.4 At the same time, Slavin was “hopeful for a cure,” and he trusted Dr. Blumberg, his favorite researcher among the many studying hepatitis B, with his antibodies.1 To Dr. Blumberg and the researchers working with him, Ted Slavin was a brave, courageous man who helped save millions of lives.1

The story of Ted Slavin, like that of Henrietta Lacks, is not only a reminder of the importance of bioethics and the need for public health and scientific research; his story reminds us there is an invisible face behind every success. Because of Ted Slavin, there are tests to diagnose hepatitis B, ways to detect liver cancer linked to hepatitis B, and the first cancer preventative vaccine!

For more information about the hepatitis B vaccine, please visit our website here.

For helping looking for the hepatitis B vaccine, you can go  here or to the HealthMap Vaccine Finder.

 

References:

  1. Lavin, EFS. (2013). Exploring Life and Death at the Cellular Level: An Examination of How Our Cells Can Live Without Us. Quadrivium: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Scholarship, 5(1),
  2. Skloot, R. (2010). The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Crown Publishing Group.
  3. Ted Slavin’s Story and more. Retrieved from: http://tissuerights.weebly.com/ted-slavin.html
  4. Skloot, R. (2006, Apr 16). Taking the Least of You. The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/16/magazine/taking-the-least-of-you.html
  5. Angsana T. (2010, Nov 9). Second Story from Ted Slavin. Retrieved from: http://angsanat.blogspot.com/2010/11/second-story-from-ted-slavin.html
  6. C, Anna. (2012, Jul 26). World Hepatitis Day: The History of the Hepatitis B Vaccine. Retrieved from: http://advocatesaz.org/2012/07/26/world-hepatitis-day-the-history-of-the-hepatitis-b-vaccine/