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6 Responses to “Is the Hepatitis B vaccination dangerous for my premature baby?”

1. MOMMY OF TWO Says:
   November 15th, 2009 at 8:08 pm

   the side effect of vaccines are very rare so I think she will be fine. It is probably in her best interest to get the shot if they recommended or they wouldn’t right now. With your baby being a premie she is more prone risk to infections and viruses.
   References :

2. Dino B Says:
   November 15th, 2009 at 8:51 pm

   My son was born at 32 weeks and had his newborn shots before we left the hospital 3 weeks later. He never had any complications with it.
   References :

3. Danyelle Says:
   November 15th, 2009 at 9:01 pm

   My daughter was born at 28weeks, weighed 2lbs and got these shots 8 weeks later. She got hers when she got her 2 month shots, because they weren’t going to give it to her when she was born. Was your baby born at 35 weeks? If so, I think that is just fine for her to get it now, my daughter got hers about 36 weeks gestation.

   Good luck!
   References :

4. AiDYN[[9.26.08]] Says:
   November 15th, 2009 at 9:42 pm

   My son was 6 weeks early, and he got his Hep B shot at his 1 month checkup.
   References :

5. mystic_eye_cda Says:
   November 15th, 2009 at 9:56 pm

   I just read the full prescribing information leaflets for the two commonly used Hep-B vaccines used in the US and it says nothing about safety for premature babies -neither that it is safe or unsafe.

   As near as I can tell the US guidelines are to give it to ALL babies as long as they weigh 18kg (4 lbs). In Canada its only given to baby’s of infected mothers (and sometimes if dad or another caregiver is infected) AND the baby weighs more than 2 kg (almost 4 1/2 lbs). In the US preemies are screened to see if they need an additional dose, in Canada preemies that are vaccinated at birth all get an additional dose.

   Its up to you, only you can weigh the risks of being unvaccinated (or unvaccinated until 2 months or whenever) against the risks of vaccinating a preemie (which aren’t documented as far as I can tell). However this vaccine is considered safe during pregnancy

   This says that the baby must weigh 1.8 kg (4lbs)
   http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:4mXZEcSkI9MJ:www.mpaeds.org.my/PaediatricProtocols/07.%2520The%2520Premature%2520Infant.pdf+premature+infant+%22hep+B%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=ca

   http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:QPdvLmWiMzcJ:www.health.sa.gov.au/pehs/Immunisation/infant-hep-b.pdf+premature+infant+%22hep+B%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=ca
   Premature babies are more prone to infections and
   in general should be immunised at the normal time.
   Babies born less than 32 weeks gestation may have a
   lower immune response to hepatitis B vaccine. These
   babies should have a blood test after their 4th dose
   of hepatitis B vaccine to check if they have adequate
   protection and if not an extra booster dose of hepa-
   titis B vaccine will be offered at 12 months of age

   http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:q_67uFw6AcIJ:www.calgaryhealthregion.ca/clin/cme/pophlth/phu0207_0208.pdf+premature+infant+%22hep+B%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=ca
   In addition to the routine vaccinations, infants
   born to Hepatitis B infected mothers are given
   HBIG and started on the Hepatitis B vaccine
   series, using thimerosal-free vaccine. The HBIG
   and Hep B vaccine should be given as soon as
   possible regardless of gestational age, because of
   the high risk of the disease. If the infant weighs
   less than 2 kg (2000gms), they will require an
   additional dose of vaccine that should be
   administered 2 months after the 3
   rd
   dose. These
   infants should be serologically tested for anti-
   HBs and HBsAg 1-3 months after they complete
   their Hep B vaccinations. In Alberta, we don’t
   routinely immunize infants of uninfected
   mothers, but some other provinces do. In that
   situation, it is better to wait until the premature
   infant reaches either 2 kg or 2 months of age,
   because of the possible lower seroconversion
   rate and the low risk of disease. Alberta does
   References :

6. Lisa Says:
   November 15th, 2009 at 10:23 pm

   Unless you are infected with Hepatitis B, your newborn baby has absolutely NO chance of getting the disease. The risk factors are sex with infected partners and intravenous drug use with dirty needles. It would be ridiculous and unsafe for her to get the vaccine, since every vaccine has risks (some more than others, and Hep B is one of the more dangerous ones). So by allowing the vaccine, you would be putting her at risk, with absolutely no potential benefit. Keep in mind your premature baby would be getting the same dose of Hepatitis B vaccine as a 17 year old would. Does that seem safe to you?

   Most parents assume the vaccine is safe and necessary because the hospital recommends it. But the recommendation is based on stupidity and greed. The pharmaceutical companies that make the hepatitis B vaccines stood to make a lot of money if every single baby that was born in the U.S. was given the vaccine. So they lobbied hard for the policy. Also, there used to be some babies born to infected mothers who were mistakenly not given the vaccine at birth. So that’s another reason they give it to all babies now. But you know you are not infected, so this risk does not apply to your baby. Finally, the policy makers know they cannot get prostitutes and drug users to get the vaccine, so they wanted to vaccinate all babies at birth, so even if they had neglectful parents who never took them to the doctor for the rest of their childhood, they would still get that vaccine. Problem is, the immunity will most likely wear off before adulthood. It’s an insane policy and you should not allow your baby to suffer from it.

   Here are the vaccine package inserts which list some of the side effects and risks.

   Energix-B brand http://us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_engerixb.pdf

   Recombivax HB brand http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/r/recombivax_hb/recombivax_pi.pdf

   Notice that the vaccines contain aluminum and yeast. These are things that you do NOT want injected into your baby.
   References :

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