Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a disease of the liver caused by the Hepatitis B virus.

Hepatitis B is spread through direct contact of infected blood, semen or other body fluids. This can happen through sexual contact, sharing of needles or other drug equipment or from mother to baby at birth.

Children under the age of five rarely experience any symptoms. Approximately 70 per cent of adults infected with the Hepatitis B virus will experience symptoms.

Common symptoms include:

• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Tenderness in the upper right side of the stomach area
• Dark coloured urine
• Clay coloured stools
• Yellow skin or eyes

About 90 per cent of adults infected with Hepatitis B recover (get rid of the virus) within six months. However about 90 per cent of infected babies and 10 per cent of infected adults will develop chronic infection for life. Chronic Hepatitis B can cause cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure and death. A person with chronic Hepatitis B also has higher risk of being infected with another viral Hepatitis.

The best way to not get Hepatitis B is to get immunized. The Hepatitis B vaccine is safe. It is much safer to get the vaccine than to get the disease. When you get immunized you help to protect others as well.

The Hepatitis B vaccine is provided free to:

• Babies at two, four and six months of age as part of the B.C. routine immunization schedule
• Those born in 1980 or later that have never received the vaccine or the recommended number of doses for their age
• Children and adults at high risk for infection

Get immunized against Hepatitis B by making an appointment with your doctor, pharmacist (for those 5 years and older) or Public Health.

Residents of Fraser East (Mission, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Agassiz and Hope), call 604-702-4906

Residents in any other area of Fraser Health, call 604-476-7087 

Hours of operation: Monday to Friday (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)

Note: When making an appointment with Public Health, you will be offered a text message reminder through the ImmunizeBC text message reminder system. 

For more information about Hepatitis B and the Hepatitis B vaccine, go to:

• Immunize Canada: Diseases and vaccines
  Learn more about diseases that can be prevented by routine immunizations.
• ImmunizeBC: Hepatitis B
  Learn more about Hepatitis B.
• HealthLink BC: Hepatitis B vaccine
  Information about Hepatitis B. Available in English, Chinese, Farsi, French, Korean, Punjabi, Spanish and Vietnamese.
• B.C. Centre for Disease Control: Hepatitis B
  More information about Hepatitis B.
• Caring for Kids: Hepatitis B vaccine
  Information for parents from Canada’s paediatricians.
• I Boost Immunity
  Earn a vaccine for someone in need by answering a quiz.
• Kids Boost Immunity
  Curated lessons with interactive quizzes that mirror your province's science, health and social studies curriculum – all for free. For every quiz that students complete, they will earn a vaccine for someone in need.