• Hepatitis can be prevented with a vaccine.
  
  

What Is the Hepatitis AB Vaccine?

• The AB vaccine combines the hepatitis A and B vaccines and prevents both strains of the virus. This vaccine is currently produced by GlaxoSmithKline and is available in two different forms for adults and children as young as 1 year old.
  
  

What Are The Side Effects?

• Although the hepatitis AB vaccine contains deactivated (killed by radiation) hepatitis A and B viruses, you can still experience some side effects from the vaccine, because all vaccines carry the potential risk of side effects. The GlaxoSmithKline website lists mild and severe side effects of the hepatitis AB vaccine including soreness, redness, swelling, bruising, hard lumps or itching around the injection site. You may also experience headaches, fatigue, fever, dizziness, disturbed sleep, fainting, feeling sick or vomiting, gut pain, diarrhea and loss of appetite.
  
  While the first set of side effects are mild, there are also more severe side effects that could happen including cough, sore throat, respiratory infections, ringing in the ears, neck stiffness, sweating, chills, flushing or generally feeling unwell, pains, painful joints and muscle aches and pains.
  
  

Vaccination Schedule

• The hepatitis AB vaccine comes in three doses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting the combination vaccine on a 0-, 1-, and 6-month schedule. So if you got your first dose on January 1, you'd get your second dose on Feb. 1 and your third dose on Aug. 1.
  
  

Who Should and Should Not Get the Vaccine?

• The hepatitis AB vaccine is currently approved for children as young as 1. It is recommended for children and adults who are at risk for hepatitis, either by living in an area where the virus is common, or by traveling outside of the country. At-risk adults are those who work in the healthcare field, use injection drugs, have more than one sex partner in a six-month period or men who have sex with other men.
  
  People who should not get the vaccine are those that have allergies to eggs, experienced a severe allergic reaction upon receiving their first dose of vaccine and people who are sick the day they are scheduled to be vaccinated (for these people, it is up to the doctor whether you should be vaccinated or not).
  
  

When To Call A Doctor

• Whether it is your first or third dose, an adverse reaction to the AB vaccine needs to be addressed by a doctor. If you experience any of the more severe side effects, it is a good idea to consult a doctor immediately before the condition potentially worsens.