What should you know about hepatitis vaccine at birth?

A newborn may not show obvious signs if exposed to hepatitis. Early protection matters because infection can remain in the body and affect the liver. The injection prepares the immune system to respond; it is not a treatment for hepatitis already present.

Hepatitis A and hepatitis B are different viruses, so their vaccines are not interchangeable. The birth team considers the baby's circumstances and the birth parent's test results when deciding what protection and follow-up are needed. A liver function test measures liver activity but does not replace vaccination.

Before leaving the birth facility, ask the team to record the vaccine, date and planned follow-up in the baby's health record. Tell the clinician about known allergies or a previous serious vaccine reaction in the baby. If the timing changes because the baby is unwell or care is transferred, ask for a documented catch-up plan.

Do not judge protection by how the injection site looks. Mild tenderness or redness can settle on its own. For information about the relevant vaccine, see Hepatitis A Vaccination and Hepatitis A.

Seek emergency help for breathing difficulty, facial swelling, collapse, marked drowsiness or a seizure after vaccination. These signs can indicate a severe reaction and require immediate assessment.

Call the baby's healthcare professional if fever continues, feeding drops, vomiting repeats, or the injection area becomes increasingly hot, painful or swollen. In a child or adult, dark urine, nausea, loss of appetite or feeling generally unwell deserves clinical advice; symptoms alone cannot identify hepatitis A.

Ask which hepatitis vaccine was given, what protection it provides, when later doses are due, whether any testing is needed, and whom to contact if the vaccination record is incomplete.