Hepatitis B

Book your Hepatitis B vaccination online

Book Appointment

Hepatitis B Vaccine Adult Child
Single Hepatitis B Vaccination £50 £49
Course of Treatment: 3 doses £150 £147
Price per course including nurse fee* £175 £172

* Rapid course available at no extra charge.

Fleet Street Clinic is not a VAT registered company

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a highly infectious viral infection spread by contaminated blood and bodily fluids. The virus specifically attacks the liver which can result in liver disease and liver cancer for those with chronic infection. Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than HIV and more than a third of the world’s population has been infected with hepatitis B and around 350 million people worldwide are chronic carriers of the virus. Thankfully a hepatitis B vaccine is available and can be given from birth.

Travellers planning on travelling to any high risk hepatitis B countries should consider having the vaccine. High risk areas include central, western and southern Africa and south-east Asia.

Call us for a same day appointment +44 20 7353 5678

Who should be vaccinated against Hepatitis B?

Vaccination against hepatitis B is advised for:

  • Those who are at occupational risk (such as health care workers, aid workers where their job puts them at risk of injury)
  • Travellers who visit high-risk areas, those who travel frequently or for longer periods
  • Travellers who have pre-existing conditions
  • Travellers who carry out activities associated with risk (adventure sports, body piercing, tattoos)
  • Those who participate in lifestyle behaviours that may increase the risk (such as, unprotected sex and injecting drug use)

How many doses of the Hepatitis B vaccine is required?

It requires a primary course of 3 vaccinations to be given over a 6 month period (0, 1 months, 6 months) with a booster dose given 5 years later.

Those who require the vaccinations to be given more quickly, such as last-minute travellers, can receive the primary course over a shortened 3 week period. Hepatitis B can also be given in combination with Hepatitis A when protection against both diseases is required. TwinRix is available for both adults and children, and adheres to the vaccination schedule outlined above. Ambirix is licenced for children under the age of 15 years and requires 2 doses 6 months apart.

How does the Hepatitis B vaccine work?

The hepatitis B vaccine contains an inactivated hepatitis B virus.

This stimulates the body to produce antibodies which will fight and prevent hepatitis B infection.

We have good stock available.

What is Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV).

The HBV attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.
Hepatitis B becomes more serious when people have chronic (lasting for more than 6 months) infection which can lead to liver disease, including liver scarring (cirrhosis), liver failure and liver cancer. The younger you are when you contract hepatitis B (particularly in children younger than 5), the higher your risk of the infection becoming chronic.

How is Hepatitis B spread?

Hepatitis B is contracted through contact with infected blood or bodily fluids. This can include:

  • Mother to baby transmission at the time of birth
  • Unprotected sexual intercourse
  • Through contaminated blood products (such as unscreened blood transfusion)
  • Contaminated medical equipment (such as needles and syringes)
  • Contaminated tattoo or body piercing equipment
  • Through contaminated needles and syringes from injecting drug use

What are the symptoms of Hepatitis B?

Symptoms of hepatitis B range from mild to severe.

Most symptoms usually appear 1-4 months after you have been infected with the virus.
Symptoms of acute hepatitis B include:

  • Fever
  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Abdominal pain
  • Dark urine
  • Jaundice (yellowing of your skin and whites of your eyes)

Book your Hepatitis B vaccination online

Book Appointment

Hepatitis B Vaccine Adult Child
Single Hepatitis B Vaccination £50 £49
Course of Treatment: 3 doses £150 £147
Price per course including nurse fee* £175 £172

* Rapid course available at no extra charge.

Fleet Street Clinic is not a VAT registered company

FAQs

The hepatitis B vaccine is highly effective, offering around 98% effective protection.

Very common side effects of the vaccine include headaches, pain and redness around the injection site, tiredness and loss of appetite. Other common side effects include a fever, feeling or being sick, diarrhoea and stomach pain, generally feeling unwell and swelling, bruising or itching around the injection site.

As of 2017, Hepatitis B vaccination is routinely available as part of the NHS vaccination schedule. It’s offered to all babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age. It’s also offered to those thought to be at increased risk of hepatitis B or its complications.

However, if you didn’t have the vaccine as a child and you want it as a travel vaccine, the NHS will charge for the vaccine or refer you to a travel clinic, such as ours. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it may be easier and quicker to opt for a travel clinic for this vaccination so not to cause any unnecessary delays.

After each dose you will receive some protection for hepatitis B, but for maximum immunity, you must complete all 3 doses. Around 6 months after your first dose, you should receive your third and final dose of the vaccine and a few weeks later your body will have had time to develop antibodies and you will have sufficient immunity.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that affects the liver. Chronic infection can result in hepatic carcinoma, liver cirrhosis and death.  

Hepatitis B is highly infectious and is transmitted from exposure to blood or body fluids. The virus can survive outside of the body for at least 7 days and still remain infectious. Transmission routes include sexual exposure, exposure from contaminated medical equipment, medical or dental procedures or by a contaminated blood transfusion.

There is no specific treatment for acute viral hepatitis. Chronic treatment can involve antivirals, although this is designed to suppress the disease rather than cure it.

This is a complex question with many variables. It is best to speak with a medical professional; a doctor or a nurse to discuss this question further.

Hepatitis B is highly infectious and is transmitted from exposure to blood or body fluids. The virus can survive outside of the body for at least 7 days and still remain infectious. Transmission routes include sexual exposure, exposure from contaminated medical equipment, medical or dental procedures or a contaminated blood transfusion.

We are conscientious that some of our patients or their close family members are deemed clinically vulnerable. Therefore, all our staff are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 for your protection and peace of mind.