Hepatitis B Campaign

Background Information for Providers

  • Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver. It is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV).
  • The hepatitis B virus can be spread from person to person when blood, semen (sperm) or other body fluids from someone who is infected with the virus get into the body of someone who is not infected.
  • Ways that hepatitis B can spread from one person to the other include:
    • Through sex or sexual contact with someone who is infected
    • Through injection drug use that involves sharing needles, syringes, or other equipment
    • Contact with blood or open sores of an infected person
    • Exposures to needle sticks or sharp instruments
    • Sharing items that can break the skin (such as razors or glucose (diabetes) monitor equipment) or mucous membranes of the lips, tongue, and gums (such as toothbrushes) due to potential exposure to the blood of an infected person
    • During pregnancy or delivery - from the pregnant person to the unborn child or infant.
  • One of the factors that determines whether an HBV infection will become a chronic infection is the person's age when infected. The younger a person is when infected with the hepatitis B virus, the greater their chance of developing chronic infection. About 9 out of 10 infants who become infected develop life-long, chronic infection. The risk decreases as a child gets older. About one in three children who get infected before age 6 will develop chronic hepatitis B. Almost all children who get infected when they are 6 years old and older, and adults who get infected with HBV recover completely and do not develop chronic infection.
  • Between 500,000 to a million people in the United States are estimated to have hepatitis B infection. Two out of every three of these people may not know they have it.  In 2020, over 1,700 deaths associated with hepatitis B infection were reported in the United States. 
Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hbv/bfaq.htm and https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hbv/hbvfaq.htm#overview

Hepatitis B Resources

ACIP Updated Recommendations HepB Vaccine Adults, 2022: Universal Hepatitis B Vaccination in Adults Aged 19–59 Years: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, 2022
ACIP Recommendations HepB Vaccine, 2018: Prevention of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in the United States: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
CDC: Professional Resources
CDC: Patient Education Resources (HepB)