This is how I understood things, and hopefully its right.
If you decline the HEP B injection at birth, that's fine, and the baby does not need an additional "catch up" as they get more doses at other intervals anyway.
IS this right?
I was told that the birth one is just an "added" one. Im confused!
I am pretty sure it's related to trying to vaccinate higher risk groups while they can, and as soon as they can. That was the vague explanation i got anyway. Doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me.......
There is actually no real reason to give Hep B at birth. It is purely a protective and preemptive action. It is designed to help prevent the contraction of the virus in small children and infants, who due to their age and lack of developed immune system cannot fight the infection. About 90% of kids who get Hep B will end up with a chronic infection (very serious)
The injection is also given at birth due to the increased risk of contraction during birth from an infected mother. Hospital workers, given their ontact with blood etc, are also in a high risk group, so it is advocated as a protection for the infant whilst in care of hospital workers. People born in regions of China, Pacific Islands, the Middle east, amazon basin, SE Asia, Africa and soth America are all classed as high risk (there are a number of nurses and doctors now working in Australian hospitals who are from these groups and although tested, I did have one doctor tell me to get DD done because of their contact with other foreigners who may be unknowingly carrying the disease!)
So yeah, no reason to get it done at birth, other than a fear of infection in children and the development of the chronic virus. Also to prevent the child from becoming a carrier of the virus.
The actual percentage of children in Australia who develop a Hep B infection in the first 3 months is 85-90% if born to a mother with the virus, usually thought to occur in utero. Obtaining the figures on how many children develop the full blown virus who are not born into high risk groups or of mothers with the virus is very hard to come by!
ETA: It should be said however that if you are in a risk group - Asian, Pacific Islander, Amazonian, South Amreican, Middle Eastern, African or Aboriginal (who actually have the highest infection rate in the country) or come into regular contact with or live amongst people of these groups, you are considered to be in a high risk area. Therefore the vax becomes a much more serious decision. Hep B is a HIGHLY communicable disease, so it is serious, and causes life long problems for sufferers, for the most part never clearing completely form the body. It is worht serious thought and research if you are in these groups. (Particularly if you plan on giving the further infant vax of Hep B (at 2 and 6 months) then consideration of having it done at birth, before returning the child to the high risk area, becomes a concern worth thinking about.)
I declined it for Zachery, they made me sign a form to say i had declined it as well. In my blue book in huge (and i mean huge) writing across the Heb B and Vit K page says 'DECLINED'.....LOL
As far as im aware..it just means 1 less dose then children who get it at birth.
We declined, the middie was great, and I thought we'd cop it from the old school doc who realeased us, but he smiled and said great choice, she doesn't need it!!!
Yes you can m23, you can decline any vaccination at any time.
Often HepB is combined with other vacc's for the next few jabs, so you need to check that out and make sure you are happy declining all, or find the others without HepB.
Yep - if DH and I didn't work in a high risk environment we would have declined but I couldn't take the risk knowing the consequences if they did get Hep B as infants / children.
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question re declining HEP B injection at birth
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