Hep B vaccination

Knottie54288128 · April 2015

I would like to start out by saying I'm pro-vaccine and have no interest in hearing the anti-vaccine argument here. My kid will have all of her vaccinations, so don't waste your time on me. My question is about the Hep B shot given almost right after birth. Is it necessary to give it so soon or could the Hep B shots be pushed back a couple of months each? I agree with the time line for the other vaccines, it just seems like Hep B is so difficult to get (spread through bodily fluids) that giving it to a baby who is only a few days old seems a little silly. Anyone else out there talk to their doctors about this or found any info? I've done some research but can't seem to really find out why they give it so soon.

bean8213 · April 2015

You can ask to get it at one of your early pedi visits instead. You will probably have to bring a note from the pedi to the hospital saying that this is the plan.

rae4512 · April 2015

We delay the hep b. Pretty much the only way for a newborn to contract it is through the mother during birth. As long as you have been tested negative during your pregnancy you should be ok to delay the vaccine. With dd I just told them I wanted to delay it. I ended up in a csection so dh made sure to be with her the entire time and made sure that nothing was given that we did not consent to.

tdart14 · April 2015

https://shotofprevention.com/2010/05/06/why-infants-should-receive-the-hepatitis-b-vaccine-at-birth/

No. It is not a medical source but it the author does answer your question.

sschwege · April 2015

We are also huge vaccine supporters, we follow the CDC schedule and everyone in our home gets a flu shot every year. That being said we delay the Hep B vaccine until we have BFing well-established, so for our first two we did it at their two week appointment. It wasn't hard to decline, I just let the pedi at the hospital know that we would be getting it done with our own pedi. I will admit I did zero research on this, I just asked my MW at one of my prenatal appointments and she said that since baby will not be engaging in activities that could result in him/her contracting it was better to wait until BFing was well-established.

Brieb33 · April 2015

Agreed. We get our son vaccinated but we delayed hep B. We did to vit K though!!

jessiemonkey · April 2015

I have two already and we put off the hep-b till the two week...I asked my doctor about it and he said he didn't even get that one for his children and he felt it was just an extra shot. So we will be doing this again for out third, that said I was ok with them giving the baby the vitamin k shot but I really didn't see a problem with a few more vitamins

Knottie54288128 · April 2015

Yeah,vit K I don't see a problem with. It's just to make sure the blood coagulates properly. I think we'll put off the Hep B shot for a minute.

katyeblue · April 2015

We don't do this in the hospital. And you don't have to get permission from anybody to make this choice. I would put it in your birth plan

sunnyday016 · April 2015

I agree that it's probably not necessary for a newborn since it is harder to get, but I also don't see the problem with giving it. My kids both got it at birth and had no issues. This baby will get it too.

sarahandandy · April 2015

The reason it is given at the hospital is lots of kids are lost to follow up & they are trying to get rid of cancer caused by hep b. It is passed through breast milk & bodily fluids. It's fine to wait for pediatrician to give it outpatient. That being said there is no harm getting it in the hospital.