Martha's Case: The Unwelcome Phone Call

You chose No: that is incorrect.

The correct answer is Yes.

You should offer Martha the hepatitis B vaccine.

Hepatitis B infection is usually associated with exposure to blood or other infectious bodily fluids. Therefore it can be transmitted through sexual contact. Hepatitis A and B are the only sexually transmissable infections that can be prevented by licensed vaccines. The recommended schedule for hepatitis B vaccination is three doses given at 0, 1 and 6 months.

If Martha has already been vaccinated against Hepatitis B (having received all 3 injections) she does not need to be screened or vaccinated now. If you suspect that Martha may already be immune by natural exposure you may wish to screen her prior to starting the vaccination process (however adverse reactions have not been observed when hepatitis B vaccines have been given to persons who are immune to hepatitis B or who are carriers). To screen for hepatitis B you can start with either Anti-HBc antibody or HBsAg.

To view algorithms on the approach to Hepatitis B screening and immunization, click here.

To find out more about hepatitis B vaccination click here to consult the Canadian Immunization Guide Seventh Edition, 2006.

For more information on hepatitis B visit viral hepatitis page.