"Has Your Child Been Vaccinated Against Hepatitis B?”
FOR AIR WEEK OF August 1, 2005

What do infants, pre-teens and adolescents have in common? They all need to be vaccinated against Hepatitis B.

Hi, I’m Dr. John Hellerstedt with the Children’s Health Minute, presented by this station and TexCare-- connecting families with CHIP and Children’s Medicaid.

All the major medical groups in the US agree that children under 18 years old need hepatitis B shots in order to be protected. Hepatitis B is a serious disease that causes liver cancer, liver failure and even death. Anyone can contract the virus, however children who were born outside the US in countries where it is more common are at increased risk.

Generally, children receive Hepatitis B shots as part of their infant immunizations, but you should check to make sure that your older children have received all of their vaccinations.